Pathways to Education Partnership

"Since the program was established in 2001, drop-out rates in the community were reduced from 56 to 10 per cent, while the proportion of young people attending post-secondary education increased from 20 to 80 per cent. "

Read the media release about the United Way partnership with Pathways.

In 2001, Pathways to Education was established in Toronto’s Regent Park to provide local high school students with academic tutoring, group mentoring, student and parent advocacy and support, and scholarships for all students who complete high school and are accepted into post-secondary programs.

By 2006, an independent evaluation conducted by Boston Consulting Group found that since the program was established, drop-out rates in the community were reduced from 56 to 10 per cent, while the proportion of young people attending post-secondary education increased from 20 to 80 per cent. More than 800 students are currently enrolled in the program.

Based on the success of Pathways and the potential to replicate the Pathways model in other neighbourhoods, United Way is partnering with Pathways to deepen the program in three Toronto communities and to study, analyze and track the Pathways educational model to enable further replication in other at-risk neighbourhoods.

In November 2007, Pathways Canada announced the expansion of Pathways to Education to communities in Toronto, Kitchener and Ottawa. The expansion is made possible through:

  • A strategic partnership with United Way Toronto to continue Pathway’s success in Regent Park and to replicate the model in two of Toronto’s 13 priority neighbourhoods, with plans for another two at-risk neighbourhoods in the city.
  • $19 million investment by the Ontario government over four years to expand Pathways to Education to communities in Ottawa, Kitchener and Toronto.
  • $11 million investment by United Way that combines one-time funding of $10 million from the Ontario government for community-based initiatives that support education achievement for youth and a $1 million donation by a long-standing United Way donor.

Background information about Pathways: