May 21, 2024
Did you know that, across Canada, elementary and secondary students have varied access to Catholic education? In some provinces and territories, Catholic education is fully funded. In others, it is partially funded. And in still other provinces, no government funding whatsoever is provided for Catholic education, making it a luxury out of reach to many students and families.
Approximately twenty years ago, the Canadian Catholic School Trustees’ Association (CCSTA) created the Toonies for Tuition campaign. Since that time, Toonies for Tuition has distributed almost $915,000 to families seeking a Catholic education for their children. However, the requests received always well exceed what is collected.
To assist families with accessing Catholic education, particularly in British Columbia, Manitoba, and the Atlantic provinces, CCSTA has designated April 30 as Toonies for Tuition Day. April 30 is the Feast of St. Marie of the Incarnation, the French founder of the Ursuline Sisters in Canada. St. Marie of the Incarnation also founded the first school in Canada, which was also the first school for girls in North America.
In response to this inequity, in 2005, the Canadian Catholic School Trustees’ Association (CCSTA) launched the CCSTA Endowment Fund and Toonies for Tuition campaign - https://ccsta.ca/initiatives/toonies-for-tuition/. We are grateful for what you have done in the past to raise funds to support Catholic education, and we are reaching out again for your support. This year, on May 30 CISND schools are hosting a Toonies for Tuition Day where we collect funds to help make Catholic education a reality for students across Canada.
Thank you for your support of Toonies for Tuition. Rest assured that every toonie you collect will be appreciated and will go directly towards supporting Catholic students in provinces with partial or no government funding. Your fundraising efforts are not only a demonstration of your commitment to solidarity, but also a reflection of your willingness to answer the ever-present call to assist those in need beyond your own community.
Yours in Catholic education,
Pamela Guilbault
Superintendent of Schools
Read the full letter from our Superintendent here.