Barbara Lemaire, Chair RAYS, second to left, is pictured with RAYS recipients, from left to right, Libby Millsap, Rory Duffy and Marty Hewitt.Handout
The organizers: Volunteers at RAYS – Resources for Area Youth Success
The pitch: Raising around $100,000 annually
The cause: To fund scholarships for high school students
When a group of volunteers in Creemore, Ont., launched a program called Ray’s Place in 2008, their main priority was helping young people find work. Over the years, the organization shifted its focus to supporting students who want to continue their education.
Ray’s Place became RAYS, Resources for Area Youth Success, and in 2012, it began awarding scholarships and bursaries to high school students around Creemore, about 130 kilometres north of Toronto.
Every year, up to four students receive $20,000 each to pursue a university degree and another 12 or so receive smaller bursaries – ranging from $1,000 to $3,000 – to study at college, trade school or apprenticeship programs. The students are teamed with an adult mentor for their years of study, as well as a donor who receives updates on how the recipient is doing.
“We believe in our youth and wanted to make sure that they reach their full potential by reaching out beyond secondary school,” said Barbara Lemaire, 72, who spent more than 20 years in education as a teacher and administrator. She added that volunteers raise around $100,000 annually to fund the awards.
As well as having top marks, students applying for the scholarships must submit a written statement outlining their extracurricular activities and community involvement. All of the candidates are also interviewed.
“They talk to us about how experience in their life and their high school selection of courses has led them to whatever path they have selected,” said Ms. Lemaire. She added that students can also wait a year after graduating from high school to apply, giving them more time to earn money and figure out what they want to study.
RAYS has awarded 28 university scholarships, with 17 graduates so far, and 68 bursaries. “Often times, they’re the first children in their family to ever go on to university or community college,” said Ms. Lemaire. “We really want to encourage as many kids as possible to think about their future in a way that they’ll invest back in Canada.”
Paul Waldie