Britannia Community Services Centre Society
This free, culturally-safe basketball program eliminates barriers for urban Indigenous youth, providing weekly practices, meals, transportation, and mentorship alongside skill-building and leadership development through community engagement and cultural sessions.
Britannia Support Society
Britannia Support Society operates two buses serving five schools and non-profits, enabling over 25 trips monthly for field trips, sports, arts, and community events. By covering transportation costs, the program allows schools to redirect limited budgets toward educational experiences and student needs.
The Little Mountain Neighbourhood House Society
This free, 8-week program empowers grades 8-12 students with essential life skills including communication, teamwork, and mental health awareness. Delivered in collaboration with BC Filipino Therapists, it provides culturally responsive wrap-around supports and a safe community space, particularly for newcomers and underserved youth.
Kiwassa Neighbourhood House
Kiwassa's free, full-day Spring Break Camp removes barriers for 30 inner-city children ages 5–12, offering safe supervision, nutritious meals, and enriching programming in arts, literacy, sports, and community engagement. By prioritizing low-income families, the program enables children to thrive while supporting working parents during school closures.
VSB: Graham Bruce Elementary School
This engaging program fosters a love of reading through Battle of the Books competitions and Literacy Week activities, featuring diverse, inclusive stories that help all students see themselves in literature. Interactive events, peer presentations, and community chalk poetry celebrations ensure every learner experiences reading success and belonging.
VSB: Lord Strathcona Elemetary School (Indigenous Education Program)
This transformative program empowers Indigenous students at Lord Strathcona Elementary to reclaim cultural identity by creating traditional regalia under elder guidance. Participants develop leadership skills, artistic capacity, and community connections while preparing meaningful graduation regalia rooted in their heritage.
VSB: Britannia Secondary School
The CanSAT Design Challenge empowers Canadian students to design and launch satellite prototypes while developing critical STEM and project management skills. Britannia's teams have earned national recognition, with recent winners advancing to the European Space Agency program—accessible only through community funding support.
VSB: Books for Snacks
Books for Snacks pairs Grade 5-6 at-risk learners with caring mentors for twice-weekly, individualized reading sessions featuring levelled books and nutritious snacks. This innovative program simultaneously addresses literacy gaps and food insecurity, fostering reading confidence and social skills in a safe, supportive community environment.
Vancouver Hawks Field Hockey Club
The Vancouver Hawks Elementary Schools Program brings free, high-quality field hockey instruction directly into Vancouver schools, removing barriers of cost and access. With coaches who are elite female athletes, the program prioritizes inclusion for underrepresented groups, reaching 5,000 students annually while building confidence and fostering belonging.
VSB: John Henderson Elementary
Evans Lake offers Grade 7 students transformative outdoor learning through activities like canoeing, archery, and wilderness skills. This program builds essential life skills—communication, teamwork, and confidence—while fostering environmental stewardship. Henderson Elementary ensures equitable access for all families, removing financial barriers to this impactful educational experience.
Thrive Youth Development Canada
Learn Create Explore is a free, in-school arts leadership program for children aged 9-13 in under-resourced Vancouver communities. Through five weekly 90-minute workshops featuring diverse artistic disciplines, students build confidence, communication skills, and leadership potential while strengthening peer connections—reaching students who might otherwise lack access to enrichment opportunities.
The Dance Centre
Power of Dance brings free, professional-led dance workshops directly into Vancouver's inner-city schools, eliminating barriers to arts access for economically disadvantaged children. Through movement integrated with curriculum, students build physical skills, emotional resilience, and confidence while experiencing belonging and cultural appreciation in a safe, inclusive environment.
Stephanie DiGiacomo
This program removes barriers to winter sports by providing Grade 7 students with affordable, accessible instruction they couldn't otherwise experience. Small group lessons help students progress through skill levels, fostering confidence and opening new recreational opportunities for underserved community members.
United for Literacy
United for Literacy delivers free, community-partnered literacy and numeracy programs—including homework clubs, summer camps, and tutoring—designed for underserved youth. With proven results (94% reading improvement), the program builds essential skills while fostering confidence and empowerment in low-income, newcomer, and racialized communities.
VSB: Britannia Secondary
Robotics Club offers free, hands-on robotics and coding workshops led by high school students for elementary participants in Vancouver. Using accessible LEGO-based platforms and flexible coding options, the program removes financial barriers while building essential STEM skills, problem-solving abilities, and teamwork in an inclusive, engaging environment.
EYA Environmental Youth Alliance Society
Nature Stewards empowers 200 inner-city youth ages 14-18 through free, land-based education in ecological restoration, plant medicine, and Indigenous knowledge. Participants develop leadership skills, environmental stewardship, and cultural connection while restoring East Vancouver habitats—all with full support removing barriers to access.
Growing Chefs
Growing Chefs Society's LunchLAB empowers students in Vancouver's inner-city schools with food literacy and culinary skills while ensuring equitable access to nourishing meals. Through chef mentorship and hands-on cooking, the program builds confidence and belonging while nourishing over 600 students across five school communities.
The University of British Columbia
UBC CampOUT! is a fully-funded, four-day outdoor leadership camp for Two-Spirit, queer, and trans youth ages 14-21 across BC and Yukon. Through decolonizing, anti-racist programming and peer connection, participants develop essential leadership and wellness skills while accessing safe community and resources addressing systemic barriers.
VSB: Thunderbird School
Tennis XL brings expert instruction and equipment directly to Thunderbird School, offering all students daily lessons across one week. This grassroots program breaks down financial barriers, providing first-hand exposure to tennis while fostering physical literacy, mutual respect, and positive competition among diverse learners.
VSB: Gladstone Secondary
PREP Gladstone provides specialized support for students with diverse learning needs, enabling them to earn their high school diploma in a smaller, nurturing environment while developing essential job skills and real work experience to launch successful careers.
VSB: Captain James Cook Elementary School
Takaya Tours offers Grade 7 students an immersive, land-based learning experience led by the Tsleil-Waututh Nation. Students explore traditional waterways by canoe, engage with Indigenous stories and songs, then discover local ecosystems through guided rainforest walks—fostering cultural understanding and environmental stewardship.
Amy Weeks
The Strathcona Backpack Program removes food insecurity barriers for 135 families, delivering $75-$100 in fresh, nutritious groceries weekly to support child development and academic success. Beyond nutrition, the program fosters community connection and youth engagement through cultural celebrations and active participation in local initiatives.
Theatre Replacement Society
PantoLand and PantoTown are five-day summer workshops where kids aged 5-13 collaborate with professional performers and accredited teachers to explore theatre, dance, music, and creative character-building. Rooted in Theatre Replacement's beloved East Van Panto tradition, these affordable, accessible camps foster young artists' confidence and creative expression while featuring world-class local guest instructors.
VSB: Admiral Seymour Elementary
Hope & Health combines soccer training with Indigenous teachings to build physical literacy and emotional wellness in underserved youth. Led by local Indigenous coaches, each session weaves mindfulness and cultural values into dynamic skill-building, creating a holistic, inclusive athletic experience free to all participants.
Eastside Family Place Society
Jump Into Music is an interactive, professionally-led program that builds school-readiness for children under 5 through music, movement, and storytelling alongside their parents. Offered weekly at Eastside Family Place, it strengthens early literacy, physical development, and parental engagement while celebrating diverse cultural traditions.