Welcome to Pathways to Education’s 2024 Annual Report

Dear Pathways supporters,

Our organization operates on the principle that the greatest challenges facing students today can only be solved through collaboration—and the collective power of our partners, volunteers, donors, and government funders has fueled another transformative year at Pathways. We’re proud to report that we are serving more students than ever before, with record-high enrolment rates exceeding our pre-pandemic numbers.

Last year, we looked inward and optimized the structures, systems, and practices required for organizational excellence and sustainable growth. We invested in our people and our program, including the development of an innovative data management platform that will streamline program delivery across the 31 communities we serve in Canada. The long-term impacts of the program were also reinforced through continued internal research, in-depth independent reports, and countless student success stories, some of which you will read throughout this report.

But the year was not without its challenges. The world is rapidly changing, and the barriers young people face are amplifying. Demand for our program is far outpacing our ability to support.

Learning loss, a shifting labour market, and increasing unaffordability continue to widen the achievement gap. Emerging research is painting a vivid picture of the long-term impacts on youth, with standardized test results down across the country and an increasing demand for youth mental health supports. For Pathways students, this was on top of the enormous economic and social barriers they were already facing—with research showing the learning loss gap is greatest for those furthest from equity.

We know we must evolve to keep up.

We embarked on a new Impact Plan designed to strengthen our support of youth—the first step being a market analysis to help us better understand future growth potential for the program. We are conducting a comprehensive review of our program to ensure it continues to meet the evolving needs of students and assess priority areas for new or enhanced programming.

We also continued to provide career-readiness programming to equip students with the skills to succeed in today’s workforce, and reinforced our commitment to providing holistic community supports to help young people build the competencies and social capital they need to navigate the multifaceted challenges they face.

We are proud to be at the forefront of shifting the paradigm for low-income communities and improving social and economic outcomes across the country. We know that there is still much work to be done, but with your continued support, we are confident that we can build a better, brighter future for youth.

Tracey Taylor-O’Reilly
President and CEO
Pathways to Education Canada

Vincent Mercier
Chair, Board of Directors
Pathways to Education Canada

It’s been a pleasure to serve as the Chair of the Alumni Advisory Committee for another term as Pathways continues to engage more alumni across the country.

Over the past year, the committee has embarked on a reflective journey to redefine our vision and set new goals. This will make sure the work we do as a committee continues to align with Pathways Canada’s mission and will lay a strong foundation for our future alumni impact.

Another priority we focused on over the past year was improving our recruitment efforts. We strategized ways to be more intentional with our recruitment processes to increase our representation across the country. Bringing in new members from communities across Canada will help us to diversify our perspectives and strengthen our support of alumni.

As always, we are grateful for your help in making this work possible. We look forward to continuing this journey together and making an even greater impact in the year to come. On behalf of the AAC, thank you for your support.

Richard Fung
Pathways alum, Regent Park
Chair of Pathways to Education Canada’s Alumni Advisory Committee
Co-Founder & Director of Production, Black Belt Productions Inc.

From coast to coast to coast, young Canadians are preparing themselves to build and shape the future of Canada. Their perseverance in the face of recent challenges is driving their ambition and giving them the character and experience they need to succeed in their education and careers to come.

The Pathways to Education Program is making that easier by supporting over 8,000 students across 31 communities to access academic, financial and social support programs that help them complete their high school studies, pursue post-secondary education, and develop skills for the future.

Pathways’ dedication to helping young people reach their full potential is levelling the playing field right across the country and helping young Canadians pursue their dreams. By engaging students where they are and meeting their unique and evolving needs, Pathways has been able to give them the best chance to build a better future.

The Government of Canada is proud to be working with Pathways to Education to enable Canadian students to continue their education, get involved in their communities, and graduate from high school. We want to help younger generations get ahead and give them a fair chance at a fulfilling life. Supporting Canadian students in their pursuit of an education is key to building a Canada that works better for everyone.

The Honourable Randy Boissonnault, P.C., M.P.
Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Official Languages