Helping Indigenous youth succeed through scholarships, access
to mentors
TORONTO,
June 19, 2015 /CNW/ - Providing
funding for education removes the biggest barriers to graduation
for Indigenous youth. But, it takes a village to position students
for success. A recent study by Indspire, a charitable organization
that invests in the education of Indigenous people, notes the
importance of engagement between students and parents, educators,
communities, government, and the private sector.
CIBC, a long-time supporter of Indigenous
initiatives, not only funds scholarships and bursaries but also
mentorship programs, such as Indspire's Rivers to Success
that helps students transition into the workforce. In the last
three years alone, CIBC has contributed more than $3 million to help Indigenous communities,
including a commitment of over $1-million to various Indspire programs.
"I have the utmost respect for Indspire and the
mentoring program," says Josh
Thomas, a member of Snuneymuxw First Nation from
Nanaimo, B.C., who connected
through Rivers to Success with a mentor from CIBC,
Pradeep Mathur, that led to a summer
internship at the bank's Toronto
head office.
"Being paired with Pradeep helped me learn how
to handle myself professionally, hone my interviewing skills, learn
more about the banking industry, and most importantly, gave me the
confidence to think big and accept the challenge of moving to a big
city to pursue a career," he says.
In addition to nearly a quarter century of
support for Indspire, CIBC has several internal programs that
support people from the Indigenous community, such as its
Pathfinders program which matches new hires with current Indigenous
employees in their first three months of employment.
"At CIBC, we strongly believe that education and
mentorship go hand-in-hand to building a stronger, more prosperous
and compassionate country," says Laura
Dottori-Attanasio, CIBC's Chief Risk Officer and Diversity
and Inclusion Executive Champion. "We are proud to invest in vital
programs like Rivers to Success that will inspire and assist
Indigenous young people to reach their full potential."
Last month, CIBC contributed $175,000 to the University
of Regina to establish the CIBC Aboriginal Bursary for
students pursuing degrees in Business Administration, Economics and
Computer Science. The bank has also supported other Indigenous
organizations and programs, including Frontiers Foundation,
Boundless Adventures, Canadian Feed the Children, Let's Talk
Science and Wabano Centre for Aboriginal Health.
Led by its Aboriginal Employee Circle, CIBC will
mark National Aboriginal Day and Aboriginal History Month this June
with special events at CIBC locations in Toronto.
About CIBC
CIBC is a leading Canadian-based global financial institution with
11 million personal banking and business clients. With a strategic
focus on Kids, Cures and Community, and employee commitment to
causes, including the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation CIBC Run
for the Cure, the CIBC Children's Foundation and United Way, we are
investing in the social and economic development of communities
across the country. In 2014, CIBC contributed more than
$42 million to 1,780 charitable and
non-profit initiatives in over 420 communities. You can find other
news releases and information about CIBC in our Media Centre on our
corporate website at www.cibc.com.
SOURCE Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce