20 Ontario schools to receive $860,000 in library grants

Ontario schools in need will get library refreshes this year.

A total of 20 Ontario elementary schools will receive grants through the Indigo Love of Reading Foundation, the foundation announced today.

The Ontario schools are part of the foundation’s $1.8 million commitment to 50 elementary schools in high-need Canadian communities. The funds will impact nearly 17,000 students, the foundation said.

The grants will help update and diversify book collections, ensuring every student has access to titles that reflect their identities, experiences, languages and histories, the foundation said.

“The Literacy Fund Grant’s goal is to equip as many schools as possible with the ability to offer high-quality, engaging reading materials,” said Ian McCann, senior manager of the Indigo Love of Reading Foundation.

“This year’s schools face severe budget challenges, while their students manage obstacles ranging from geographic isolation to socioeconomic vulnerability, all making accessing relevant literature difficult.”

The grants come at a critical moment in Canadian education, the foundation noted. In 2017, education-advocacy and -oversight group People for Education found that 52 per cent of elementary schools had a teacher-librarian, down from 80 per cent in 1998. Of these, only 11 per cent were full-time teacher librarians.

A lack of resources has impacted some schools in the province.

“At Dorset Park, literacy is a top priority,” said Vanessa Grieve, principal at recipient school, Dorset Park Public School in Scarborough. “We believe in developing critical thinkers, problem solvers and lifelong learners. Unfortunately, that can become very challenging when many of the resources you have do not meet the needs of our students and the 21st-century learner.”

Here are the 20 Ontario schools that will receive grants:

• Armstrong Public School in Armstrong will receive $10,000 in funding.
• Cherrytree Public School in Brampton will receive $35,000 in funding.
• Parkway Public School in Brampton will receive $25,000 in funding.
• Dorset Park Public School in Scarborough will receive $25,000 in funding.
• Dundas Junior Public School in Toronto will receive $60,000 in funding.
• General Mercer Junior Public School in Toronto will receive $30,000 in funding.
• Our Lady of Peace in Toronto will receive $50,000 in funding.
• St. Maria Goretti Catholic Elementary School in Toronto will receive $65,000 in funding.
• Franklin Road Elementary School in Hamilton will receive $65,000 in funding.
• Gateway Public School in North York will receive $140,000 in funding.
• Glen Cedar Public School in Newmarket will receive $20,000 in funding.
• Highfield Junior School in Etobicoke will receive $50,000 in funding.
• King’s Road Public School in Burlington will receive $25,000 in funding.
• Lions Oval Public School in Orillia will receive $35,000 in funding.
• Roberta Bondar Public School in Ottawa will receive $50,000 in funding.
• St. Florence Catholic School in Scarborough will receive $15,000 in funding.
• Stephen Leacock Public School in Kanata will receive $60,000 in funding.
• Susanna Moodie Elementary School in Belleville will receive $40,000 in funding.
• Tapleytown Elementary School in Stoney Creek will receive $50,000 in funding.
• Westmount Avenue Public School in Sudbury will receive $10,000 in funding.

To learn more about the Indigo Love of Reading Foundation, visit the website here.