About Us
We are LiftED (previously The Leacock Foundation, established in 1992), a charity whose vision is a world where all children and youth have an opportunity to reach for their full potential. Our mission is to confront inequity by empowering children and youth to develop the critical and creative thinking skills to be confident leaders now and in the future.
The rate of children living below the poverty line in Toronto is on the rise (up 8.5% since 2020) and is only getting worse. Within our partner communities (St. James Town, Scarborough, Jane and Driftwood, and Thorncliffe Park), these numbers are even higher, with an average poverty rate of 36%.
Among this demographic, we also see a very low engagement rate in after-school programs, despite the strong evidence that participation in these types of programs can lead to significantly improved academic and social outcomes.
Youth from low-income Toronto neighbourhoods often experience two to three fewer years of grade-equivalent learning by the time they finish high school compared to their higher-income peers.
Every year, the Toronto District School Board reviews the various schools within the district and releases a Learning Opportunity Index, a measuring system to identify the level of external challenges affecting student success and the additional level of support and resources needed within these educational settings. The schools that fall within our partner communities continue to return high rankings, appearing in the top 54 percentile. This further highlights the inequalities that exist for these marginalized communities, historically made up of lower-income households, diverse linguistic backgrounds, and recent immigrant families.
One million Canadian children struggle with below-grade reading skills, and 75% who don’t overcome early literacy challenges face lifelong difficulties.
Literacy goes well beyond the ability to read and write – it involves the ability to understand and engage with different types of information, which in turn allows us to fulfill our academic, economic, health, and civic potential.
Through the support of key partnerships and the generous contributions of our donors, LiftED has empowered youth in senior kindergarten to Grade 12 in underserved communities by providing enriched and free literacy and leadership development programs after school and during the summer. Nearly 800 youth benefit from LiftED’s programs each year.
Sources
- Here’s just how much poverty can hold kids back – August 28, 2019, by Laura Hensley
- Fighting for Our Future – Child and Family Poverty Report Card, Toronto 2024 – November 2024
- Why Are Youth from Lower-income Families Less Likely to Attend University? Evidence from Academic Abilities, Parental Influences, and Financial Constraints – by Marc Frenette
- The 2023 Learning Opportunities Index: Questions and Answers – Toronto District School Board
- Parents, experts worry about ‘snowball effect’ of literacy, development lags amid pandemic schooling – Jessica Wong (CBC News)
- An Economic Overview of Children’s Literacy in Canada (November 2020) – Deloitte
Our Impact
LiftED acts as the connective tissue between schools, parents, and youth, creating safe places to learn, grow, and unlock otherwise hidden greatness.
While we are a small organization, the impact of our programs is felt deeply in the communities we serve.
Our Impact in Numbers
self-confidence
self-esteem
OUR HISTORY
We were founded in 1992 by the late Peter Oliver (of Oliver & Bonacini Restaurants), a native South African living in Toronto who wanted to find a way to give back to his local community. Together with a group of friends, the Leacock Club was formed and began raising money for youth charities based in Toronto.
After meeting Nelson Mandela in Toronto, Peter was inspired to recognize the need in South Africa’s Eastern Cape, the country’s poorest province. Seeing education as a pathway out of poverty, Peter was introduced to the Get Ahead Project (GAP) School, a promising school initiative in the region.
Celebrating Over 25 Years of Partnership
For more than 25 years, our collaboration has transformed education and leadership development through impactful initiatives. Together, we’ve built a foundation of support that has enriched lives, strengthened communities, and created pathways to brighter futures. GAP schools were established in 1992 by a group of local parents who were frustrated by unsuccessful attempts to enrol their children in the better-resourced English-speaking state schools. Their goal was to create low-fee, independent schools to meet the needs of children from townships surrounding Queenstown and Whittlesea in the Eastern Cape.
As we now build on our successful history in Toronto, the demand for our programs continues to increase along with the need for funding. In 2024, the Board of Directors decided to change our name from The Leacock Foundation to LiftED Literacy and Leadership to make it easier for all stakeholders to understand what we do. Quite simply, we aim to Lift youth in underserved communities via Education.
Are You a Member of the Media?
Email Jessica Murphy or Stefania Matarazzo to book an interview and learn more about how LiftED is helping to make an impact in the lives of youth in Toronto.