Carmeuse Dundas celebrates Pathways to Education graduates

The Carmeuse Dundas Operation, near Hamilton, ON, recently helped celebrate the achievements of local young people, sponsoring the Pathways to Education Graduation Event held on 29 June. 91 people were able to attend this year’s online event, with 125 graduates receiving their Graduation Celebration Boxes. In addition, the Dundas Operation sponsored the Carmeuse Spirit of Resilience Award, one of four awards that this year were presented to seven outstanding graduates.

“Each of these very deserving young people will be all the more ready to take their next step due to these awards,” said Jack Bernacki, Pathways to Education Manager at Compass Community Health. “All of this was made possible through the generosity of Carmeuse.”

First implemented at Toronto’s Regent Park Community Health Center in 2001, Pathways to Education is designed to reduce poverty and its effects by increasing high school graduation rates of and participation in post-secondary programs by young people from economically-disadvantaged communities. It has been running at Compass Community Health in Hamilton, ON, since 2009. 

The program provides comprehensive academic, financial and social support to young people to help them cope with the stresses of school, homework, tests, exams, and making friends. By offering a place where young people can come to do their homework, have fun, meet new friends and learn new skills, it has proved successful in raising graduation rates by as much as 70% and increasing the number of young people carrying on into post-secondary programs by up to 300%.