Centennial College and Northpine Foundation are expanding opportunities for Scarborough residents through a new partnership that will increase access to post-secondary education and pathways to career success.
A $5-million endowment, announced on Apr. 15 at the Scarborough Walk of Fame, will establish the Northpine Investing in Scarborough Fellowship. The endowment has been made possible by a $2.5-million investment from Northpine Foundation — the largest philanthropic contribution in the College’s history — and a matching investment from Centennial.
The Fellowship is designed expressly to reduce systemic barriers for residents of Scarborough’s Neighbourhood Improvement Areas, where inequitable outcomes have been identified. The structured and sustained model of support pairs financial assistance with ongoing mentorship and clear pathways to employment.
Entrance scholarships will be linked to College programs aligned with areas of high labour-market demand, such as health care, the skilled trades and applied technologies. Financial assistance of roughly $4,000 annually per student will be complemented with access to a dedicated student success advisor and the College’s work-integrated learning opportunities.
“We are honoured to partner with the Northpine Foundation on the Northpine Investing in Scarborough Fellowship — designed here and built for this community,” said Dr. Craig Stephenson, President and CEO at Centennial College. “This partnership reflects what mission-aligned philanthropy looks like — removing barriers, strengthening outcomes, and expanding opportunity where it is needed most. We are deeply grateful to Northpine for their leadership and their belief in what is possible when we invest — deliberately — in people and in place. This is how we build a stronger Scarborough — together.”
Slated to launch this fall, the cohort-based Fellowship is expected to ultimately welcome around 50 students annually from Neighbourhood Improvement Areas in Scarborough.
“Each year, we’ll support students from our Neighbourhood Improvement Areas not just to access post-secondary education, but to persist, graduate, and transition directly into careers,” said Neel Joshi, Impact Director, Northpine Foundation. “We hope this Scarborough-built model inspires more institutions to invest in the potential that already exists here.”