Canadians Feel That Children and Teens Need More Places In Their Community To Go To After School

RBC commits $2.4 million to community-based programs to create meaningful and rich environments to engage and teach children

TORONTO, September 8, 2009 — More than one third of Canadians (40 per cent) feel that they don’t have a lot of places in their community where supervised activities and recreation options are available for children and teens outside of school according to a recent RBC/Ipsos Reid poll. With a commitment of almost $2.4 million from RBC Foundation, 90 of Canada’s leading after school programs will receive funding for the 2009-2010 school year. The recipients represent a diverse range of community-based organizations, and were chosen by panels of local citizens.The poll found that the vast majority (94 per cent) of Canadians agree that there should be some organized activity or safe place for children and teens to go to after school.

“During these challenging economic times, when many parents are forced to extend their work day or take on a second job, Canadians realize that after school programs are crucial in keeping kids safe, inspiring them to learn and helping to alleviate some pressures for working families,” said Shari Austin, vice-president, Corporate Citizenship at RBC and executive director, RBC Foundation. “These grants will help more after school programs in at risk communities deliver enriched activities outside the classroom and support the development of social skills with peers that will pay academic dividends.”

Forty per cent of the after school programs funded by RBC report increased academic performance and improved social skills of their participants.

Each after school program will receive up to $40,000 from RBC. Sixteen are first-time grant recipients. RBC has been funding after school programs since 1999 with more than $19 million given through 654 grants to 198 different organizations that have helped more than 17,000 children over the past ten years.

To be selected for a grant, after school programs must offer structured and supervised activities for children between the ages of six and 17. The programs must also focus on what RBC calls the “three Ss” — safety, social skills and self-esteem. RBC’s grants are used to provide a wide-range of activities including computer instruction, sports, literacy tutoring, music and art lessons, nutrition guidance, and homework-help.

RBC believes in building prosperity by contributing to the communities in which we live and work. As one of Canada’s largest corporate donors, RBC supports a broad range of community initiatives, through donations, sponsorships and employee volunteer activities. RBC contributed $99 million to community causes worldwide in 2008, through donations of more than $51.5 million, and an additional $47.5 million in sponsorship of community events. For more information, visit www.rbc.com/donations

2009-2010 RBC After-School Grant Recipients:

Northwest Territories
Side Door Ministries – Junior Side Door

British Columbia
Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Vancouver – North Burnaby Club*
Boys & Girls Club of Kamloops*
Grandview ?Uuqinak’uuh Elementary School – Board of Education of School District No. 39 (Vancouver) *
Hastings -Tillicum Community Elementary School – Board of Education of School District No. 39 (Vancouver) *
Glen Elementary School – Board of Education of School District No. 43 (Coquitlam)
Khowhemun Elementary School – Board of Education of School District No. 79 (Cowichan Valley) *
Kla-how-eya Aboriginal Centre of Surrey Aboriginal Cultural Society *
Lena Shaw Elementary School – Board of Education of School District No. 36 (Surrey)
Strathcona Community Centre Association*
Squamish Elementary School – Board of Education of School District No. 48 (Sea to Sky) *
Twin Rivers Elementary School – Board of Education of School District No. 20 (Kootenay-Columbia) *
Wickaninnish Community School – Board of Education of School District No. 70 (Alberni) *

Alberta
Boys & Girls Clubs of Calgary – Forest Lawn Club
Boys & Girls Club of Calgary – Pineridge Club*
Boys & Girls Club of Diamond Valley & District – Turner Valley *
Boys & Girls Club of Edmonton – Rundle Club*
Boys & Girls Club of Slave Lake*
Boys & Girls Club of Strathcona County*
Boys & Girls Club of Wetaskiwin*
Boys and Girls Club of Whitecourt and District*
Edson and District Boys and Girls Club
Norwood Child & Family Resource Centre*
Saddle Lake Boys and Girls Club*
SPEC Association for Children and Families – Boys and Girls Club of Brooks and District*

Saskatchewan
Battlefords Boys and Girls Club*
Boys & Girls Club of Yorkton*
Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools Foundation – Bishop Roborecki School*

Manitoba
Boys and Girls Clubs of Winnipeg – Dalhousie Club*
Boys and Girls Clubs of Winnipeg – Norquay Club*
Children’s Heritage Fund – William Whyte Community School*
Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization of Manitoba
Spence Neighbourhood Association
The Pas Action Centre*
Wapanohk Community School – School District of Mystery Lake*

Ontario
Braeburn Neighbourhood Place*
Brampton Neighbourhood Resource Centre
Boys and Girls Club of East Scarborough*
Boys & Girls Club of Kingston*
Boys and Girls Club of Niagara*
Boys and Girls Club of Ottawa Britannia Clubhouse*
Community Arts & Heritage Education Project*
Cross-Cultural Community Services Association*
Delta Family Resource Centre*
Dr. H.D Taylor Public School Greater Essex County District School Board
Eastview Boys and Girls Club*
Hamilton Wentworth District School Board Cathy Wever HUB
Kemptville and Area Youth Advocacy Committee*
Langs Farm Village Association*
Native Child and Family Services of Toronto*
Onward Willow – Better Beginnings, Better Futures Community Centre*
Quinte Community Learning – Bridging the Gap*
Ralph Thornton Community Organization*
St. Alban’s Boys and Girls Club, Driftwood Club
St. Christopher House*
St. Leonard’s Society of Metropolitan Toronto*
San Romanoway Revitalization Association*
Somerset West Community Health Centre*
Thorncliffe Neighbourhood Office*
Toronto Kiwanis Boys and Girls Clubs*
Township of Lake of Bays*
Tri-County Literacy Council*
Wesley Urban Ministries*
YMCA of Greater Toronto*
YMCA of Sault Ste Marie*

Quebec
Action Jeunesse St-Pie X de Longueuil (Maison de jeunes Kekpart) *
Baobab Familial
Centre d’Amitié Autochtone de Val-d’Or*
Club Garcons et Filles de LaSalle/Boys and Girls Club of LaSalle*
Les enfants de l’espoir de Maisonneuve*
Maison d’accueil Mutchmore
La Maison des jeunes Par La Grand’Porte*
la maison Tremplin de Longueuil*
L’Oasis des enfants de Rosemont*
Saint Columba House*
Toujours ensemble*
Tyndale St-Georges Community Centre*

Newfoundland and Labrador
MacMorran Community Centre*
St. John’s Native Friendship Centre*

Nova Scotia
Boys and Girls Club of Preston*
Boys and Girls Club of Spryfield*
Eleanor W. Graham Middle School – School District 16
Somerset & District Elementary School – Annapolis Valley Regional School Board
South Shore Family Resource Association*
St. George’s YouthNet Society*

New Brunswick
Boys and Girls Club of Moncton*
Boys and Girls Club of Saint John
École Régionale-de-Saint-André, School District 3*
Prince Charles School*

Prince Edward Island
Boys and Girls Club of Summerside*

*Indicates a multi-year recipient

The RBC omnibus was conducted by Ipsos Reid between August 19 and August 25, 2009. This online survey of 2,028 Canadian adults was conducted via the Ipsos I-Say Online Panel, Ipsos Reid’s national online panel. The results are based on a sample where quota sampling and weighting are employed to balance demographics and ensure that the sample’s composition reflects that of the actual Canadian population according to Census data. With a representative sample of this size, the results are considered accurate to within ±2.2 percentage points, 19 times out of 20. Margins of error for regions will vary.

– 30 –

For further information, please contact:
Matt Gierasimczuk, RBC, Media Relations, (416) 974-2124