Rotary gives a gift that keeps on giving: education

Georgian College students received a gift from the Rotary Club of Collingwood-South Georgian Bay this holiday season that will last the year through.

Future generations of students will also benefit from the club’s generosity.

Club President John Saul announced the club’s donation of $25,000 over five years, in support of Georgian’s first permanent location in the region, the John Di Poce South Georgian Bay Campus.

“The South Georgian Bay area has one of the lowest post-secondary education rates in the province. Education is a cornerstone of Rotary's international charity work so we are pleased to make a contribution that, locally, will have a direct impact to this issue,” said Saul.

This donation brings the college to 89 per cent of its $750,000 fundraising goal for the campus through its Power of Education campaign.

Jennifer Valentine, Pre-Health Sciences student and Students’ Administrative Council rep, was at the announcement to thank the Rotary Club on behalf of all Georgian College students. As a mature student, having a local option for post-secondary education is part of what motivated her to go back to school.

 “Having the college here to allow me to go to school on my own schedule to achieve my goal to work in radiology or physiotherapy, is important to me. It would have been really difficult if I would have had a two-hour commute on top of my classes,” said Valentine.

Saul says his club looks forward to working with Georgian in a variety of ways, including through the Rotary Mentorship Program. The college will refer graduates with disabilities to become Mentorship Protégés, who will then be matched with local business leaders for employment so they can add vocational value to the South Georgian Bay region.

Last year, the John Di Poce South Georgian Bay Campus served more than 1,300 students. They studied a variety of programs including Ontario college certificates, Continuing Education, corporate training, College and Career Preparation and courses designed specifically for college-capable high school students who are at risk of not graduating.

 

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The Rotary Club of Collingwood-South Georgian Bay donates $25,000 to Georgian College’s John Di Poce South Georgian Bay Campus fundraising campaign. From left to right: student Jennifer Valentine, Campaign Chair Barbara Weider, Rotarian Janet Trude, Campus Manager Lynn Hynd and Rotary Club President John Saul.