Centennial College Earmarks $110,000 Annually to Assist Students Escaping War-torn Nations
Precipitated by recent global crises and in line with its activist global citizenship principles, Centennial College is allocating $110,000 of financial assistance per year for refugees and persons displaced by war and political strife.
During the first year, the college’s focused financial outreach entails support for four Ukrainian students who wish to continue their studies in Canada, as well as full relocation support for an additional student in partnership with World University Service of Canada (WUSC). While the current priority is to support displaced persons from Ukraine, in subsequent years funding will be distributed based on geopolitical circumstances and needs.
In addition, Centennial will work closely with internal partners and external settlement agencies in the GTA to provide students with comprehensive supports related to language, socio-cultural transition, financial and employment needs to fulfill a critical role in the successful resettlement of this vulnerable population.
“Our hearts go out to all those whose lives have been disrupted by the war in Ukraine and many other regions of the world that have experienced political upheaval and violence,” says Dr. Craig Stephenson, President and CEO, Centennial College. “We want to assist those seeking a post-secondary education, but for reasons beyond their control, find their dreams thwarted and their futures uncertain.”
In addition, Centennial recently collected 10,000 pounds of essential food items to support the people of Ukraine in partnership with the Ukrainian Canadian Congress, the Ukrainian Canadian Medical Association, Toronto Police Divisions 41, 42 and 43, and faculty, student and staff volunteers from Centennial’s School of Community and Health Studies.
Donated by college community members, GTA residents and local grocery stores, the non-perishable food items will be forwarded to the Red Cross to ship directly to eastern Europe. Some of the donated items will also be prioritized for Ukrainian refugees as they arrive in Canada.
A number of publicly funded colleges across Ontario have made a joint donation of $200,000 to UNICEF’s Ukraine emergency fund. Others, like Centennial, have opted to make significant contributions by way of tuition relief programs, new scholarships, counselling programs, community partnerships, and more, to those from Ukraine and other regions impacted by geopolitics.