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About

Catapult: Moving Learning Forward

Catapult is a national, community-building program that aims to increase equity of learning access for youth.

It does this 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 supports.

Catapult provides valuable and up-to-date resources ranging from new funding opportunities to evaluation supports, new research on promising practices, and more. The platform will also serve as a base for other Catapult 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. It’s the freedom to chart your own destiny, and it should be 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.

[email protected]

Léandre Nawej (she/her)

Manager

Programs and Partnerships | Rideau Hall Foundation

Léandre has worked on projects in West Africa, Scandinavia and Canada advancing education equity, youth employment, gender inclusion, and corporate sustainability efforts through governments and NGOs. Léandre first joined the RHF as an intern primarily supporting Learning programs before heading to Sweden to further develop her own learning experience. After a year abroad, Léandre has happily returned to the RHF to fortify partnerships and programs that best serve Canadians. In her leisure time Léandre enjoys creating and consuming art in the comfort of her home in Tiohtià:ke also known as Montreal and on her globetrotting adventures.

[email protected]

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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