Each year thousands of Canadian students make the life-altering decision to drop out of high school, thereby not realizing the unlimited potential that exists inside. In most cases, this seemingly simple and personal decision puts our youth on a downward spiral that affects us all. Not allowing their full potential to be unleashed leads to lower wages, higher unemployment, a diminished tax base, higher rates of poverty, and greater dependency on social assistance.
There is an imbalance. Dropout rates in low-income communities are as high as 60-70 per cent, compared to the national average of 20-30 per cent.
Pathways to Education Canada is a charitable organization that helps youth in low-income communities graduate from high school and successfully transition into post-secondary education or training. Pathways removes systemic barriers to education by providing leadership, expertise and a community-based program proven to lower dropout rates. Founded in 2001, Pathways operates in eleven communities across Canada, with programs in Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia and Manitoba.
There is a strong need for this issue to be communicated across the country in order to raise awareness as well as donations from governments, corporations and individuals in order to grow the program and, in turn, make Canada a Graduation Nation.
The Pathways to Education program aims to reduce the high school dropout rate in low-income communities, help youth graduate and successfully transition into post-secondary education or training. We were tasked with raising the awareness of the program in order to drive participation, volunteers, partners and sponsors.
In order to help achieve the goals of Pathways to Education Canada, various communication tactics have been put into place. Primarily, we are continually pitching stories about Pathways 12 months of the year to both traditional and online media to ensure the multiple facets of the organization are engaged.
Citizen Optimum’s key story telling happens around the success stories – the graduates, the new communities and the generous support received by federal and provincial governments and numerous corporate supporters.
By finding new and exciting ways to celebrate the organizations success, we have been able to raise its profile, garner a connection between Pathways and its supporters and well as the caring communities that participate.
Since the Pathways program started in Regent Park in 2001, the dropout rate has decreased by more than 70 per cent, with nearly 600 Pathways graduates now continuing on to post secondary studies or entering the workforce. Even more exciting are the thousands of students in the program today and on track to become yet another Pathways success story. As the profile continues to grow, Citizen Optimum’s ongoing story telling program continues to deliver and exceed numbers in both the traditional media and online news and social channels..