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About

Catapult: Moving Learning Forward

Catapult Canada’s vision is for every young person in Canada to achieve their own learning goals, build the skills they need to be full participants in their communities, and become the architects of their own career paths.

Established by the Rideau Hall Foundation (RHF), Catapult Canada brings this vision to life by channeling resources to community programs, helping them build know-how, capacity, funding, evaluation frameworks, partnerships, and infrastructure. For smaller organizations and communities, Catapult Canada will reduce their isolation and bring them into a broader community of success and knowledge sharing. At the same time, larger organizations can extend their reach into new or smaller communities, providing key insights and support.

Catapult provides valuable and up-to-date resources ranging from new funding opportunities to evaluation supports, new research on promising practices, and more. It is also a platform for other program activities, such as the Access Innovation Fund and a mentoring/coaching resource for communities and youth-serving organizations.

In the context of Catapult, learning refers to education, skills training, and setting out on productive career paths. Learning is the freedom to chart your own path, and Catapult works to make it available to all young people across the country and in every community.

Leadership Team

Ikem Opara (he/him)

Director

National Learning Partnerships | Rideau Hall Foundation

Ikem Opara has spent the last 20 years engaging public and private sector partners in Canada, Tanzania, Kenya and Cuba, to build relationships and strengthen connections across national, linguistic, cultural and other borders. Following progressive roles at Pathways to Education, Canada World Youth, and Canadian Jesuits International over the years, Ikem most recently led Ontario Trillium Foundation’s strategy, grant-making and capacity building work with a focus on inclusion, and improved outcomes for Black and Indigenous youth. Ikem lives in the Dish With One Spoon Wampum territory known as Toronto, from where he supports the work of the Rideau Hall Foundation.

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Partner Organizations

Barrett Canada Fund

The Barrett Canada Fund is a partnership between the Barrett Family Foundation and the Rideau Hall Foundation to further the nation-building work of the RHF to connect people, causes and organizations that share a common belief in and commitment to a better Canada for all. This fund will help strengthen civic and charitable engagement; foster Canada’s culture of innovation; establish a national platform supporting equitable access to post-secondary education; and support the next generation of Indigenous teachers.

Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC)

Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) is the department of the Government of Canada responsible for developing, managing and delivering social programs and services. ESDC works to improve the standard of living and quality of life for all Canadians. They do this by promoting a labour force that is highly skilled. They also promote an efficient and inclusive labour market.

Goal Getters

Goal Getters Funding Stream

Goal Getters, a funding stream under the modernized Youth Employment and Skills Strategy works with organizations to encourage youth facing barriers to complete high school and transition to post-secondary education and/or employment. It helps more youth consider future educational and employment opportunities at an earlier age as a way to improve their future labour market integration.

ScotiaRISE

ScotiaRISE is Scotiabank’s 10-year, $500-million community investment commitment designed to strengthen economic resilience among disadvantaged groups. Through ScotiaRISE, the Bank invests in partnerships and programs within three priority focus areas — increasing high school graduation and post-secondary participation; helping newcomers settle in new countries and feel at home faster; and assisting those facing barriers to employment with career development or career progression. Scotiabank’s shared passion for encouraging pride in our country and commitment to helping Canadians thrive by addressing core issues of economic resilience, inclusion and learning opportunity are the hallmarks of our partnership.

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