Multi-year commitment from Ontario Trillium Foundation supports growth for Future Possibilities for Kids
The three-year Grow Grant contributed to the well-being of children in the Ready, Set, Goal! program, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Toronto, ON – (July 29, 2021) – Future Possibilities for Kids (FPK) was awarded a Grow Grant of $403,500 by the Ontario Trillium Foundation in 2017 for a three-year commitment to support the growth and impact of the Ready, Set, Goal! program for children ages 9-12 years old living in underserved communities.
In those three years, the Grow Grant was used to increase access to Ready, Set, Goal! for children across the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), and then outside the GTA when the program transitioned to a virtual format during the COVID-19 pandemic. During the three-year period, the grant supported an additional 360 children in accessing programs, enhancing their leadership skills and confidence as they created solutions for challenges facing their communities.
Since 2001, the Ready, Set, Goal! program has consistently increased levels of social awareness, activism and community involvement in young people. In consultation with community partners, including schools, FPK has adapted and scaled their program curriculum according to the communities needs. The Grow Grant strengthened FPK’s capacity to respond and support children living in low-income neighbourhoods, ultimately increasing their confidence, self-esteem and connection to others. This became even more critical during the COVID-19 pandemic, which saw increased levels of social isolation.
“The last 3 years have been a period of growth and change,” said Rickesh Lakhani, Executive Director at FPK. “We have expanded programming significantly with the cornerstone investment of the Ontario Trillium Foundation, which has allowed us to increase our staff team to support more children and volunteers, invest in our systems, and build our presence in the community. This growth was crucial over the last year during the pandemic as children and families faced additional challenges.”
Ultimately, the Grow Grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation amplified the impact of young people to lead initiatives to strengthen their communities. It supported the growth and stability of FPK’s programs, providing children with the opportunity to engage with their community, discover their leadership skills, overall supporting their emotional well-being.
About Future Possibilities for Kids
Future Possibilities for Kids (FPK) is an organization dedicated to Kids shining as leaders. Our mission statement is “to inspire and empower children, ages 9-12 years old, from diverse, under-served Canadian communities, to practice possibility thinking and to become leaders by creating meaningful Goals of Contribution, both now and in the future.”
For media inquiries, please contact Tammy Ebuen, Fundraising and Communications Manager at tammy@prev.fpcanada.org, or at (416) 923-0777, ext 235
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