CHERRY HILL, N.J., Jan. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- TD today announced
that six U.S. organizations will be awarded grants through the 2021
TD Ready Challenge totaling $3,025,000
USD. The recipients are developing innovative, scalable
solutions to assist disproportionately impacted students in grades
K-12 across the Bank's Maine-to-Florida footprint who are experiencing
pandemic-related learning loss in math and reading.
Research predicts that students from low-income households,
students with limited internet access, indigenous and racialized
students (Dorn, 2020), as well as students with disabilities
(Nelson, 2020) will experience even more considerable setbacks as a
result of the switch to virtual learning. While not all students
will be affected equally, these communities in particular will feel
a greater impact and face tougher challenges as a result learning
loss.
"As a mother who has experienced the challenges of remote
learning firsthand, I am thrilled to support these incredible
organizations that are finding meaningful ways to help those
students who have fallen behind catch up. At TD, we continue to
focus our efforts on making sure the communities we serve have an
equitable COVID-19 recovery and I am eager to see how this year's
grantees will change lives and offer opportunities for individuals
driving the future of innovation, talent and growth," said
Shelley Sylva, Head of U.S Corporate
Citizenship at TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank®.
"Intermittent school closures and in-class learning disruptions
over the last two years have created significant challenges for
both students and teachers. Through the 2021 TD Ready Challenge, we
are proud to provide funding to 15 organizations that will scale
innovative programs designed to help tackle predicted learning
loss. Their efforts will help create opportunities for students so
that they can feel more confident about their futures and so that
they can succeed in a changing world," said Janice Farrell Jones, Senior Vice President,
Sustainability and Corporate Citizenship at TD Bank
Group.
The TD Ready Challenge is TD's annual North American initiative
recognizing organizations helping to address a problem statement
connected to one of the four drivers of the TD Ready Commitment,
the Bank's corporate citizenship platform: Financial Security,
Vibrant Planet, Connected Communities and Better Health. Now in its
fourth year, the TD Ready Challenge continues to focus on helping
create a more inclusive and sustainable future by invigorating
communities and encouraging its customers to feel confident about
their own futures.
More than 300 applicants submitted their organizations'
initiatives for consideration in this year's TD Ready Challenge.
Each application was rigorously evaluated and narrowed down to a
select few submissions which were then reviewed by a panel of TD
executives and experts in the space. The panel, with input from TD
employees, selected a total of 15 U.S. and Canadian organizations
to receive grants ranging from $325,000 to $1,000,000.
The U.S. recipients of the 2021 TD Ready Challenge grants
are:
The Education Fund, Edible Outdoor Eco-Labs to
Accelerate Learning – Metro Florida – Awarded $1,000,000
This outdoor eco-lab initiative targets schools where the majority
of students qualify for federal aid and have limited access to
fresh, healthy food. The project will expand upon pre-existing
sustainable eco-labs focused on science to further incorporate
nature, accelerate learning– particularly in math– and foster
connections with student peers.
LUCY Outreach, Lifting Up Camden's Youth Inside &
Outside of the Classroom – Metro Pennsylvania/Metro New Jersey
– Awarded $625,000
This outreach program will focus on providing assistance to
low-income Camden city and county
students ages 10-19 in their progression to the next grade,
including college and career advancements upon high school
graduation. LUCY provides support in homework assistance, college
and career counseling, workshops and more to address
disproportionate learning loss, especially in reading and math.
South Asian Youth Action, SAYA Elmhurst Center
Academic Readiness + Mentoring Initiative – Metro New York –
Awarded $425,000
SAYA's peer mentorship and academic readiness initiative focuses on
youth living in Queens neighborhoods— the epicenter of the pandemic
during its height. The team plans to formalize and scale their
offerings of peer mentorship in order to increase resilience in
students, ensure sustainable academic gains and lessen the learning
loss gap.
Codman Academy Foundation, The Codman Academy Tutorial
Program – Southern New England – Awarded $325,000
The Codman Academy Tutorial Program provides support to high-needs
students in urban, low-income communities and schools. The
academy's expansion of the program through additional hiring will
help the team reach their goal of having all students perform at
the required level of their grade and every student meet their core
standard.
The Arc Prince George's County, Catalyst Project –
Metro Mid-South – Awarded $325,000
The Arc's Catalyst Project aims to support students with
intellectual and developmental disabilities who have been
especially hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. This program will
provide additional academic support, therapies, work-based learning
experiences and other services to recover invaluable learning and
experiences for special needs students lost during the
pandemic.
MY TURN, Project Complete – Northern New England –
Awarded $325,000
Project Complete's work targets the dropout crisis created by the
COVID-19 pandemic and increased youth workforce participation
within Manchester, New Hampshire.
Through individual service plans combining elements in career
exploration, occupational training and academic instruction among
others, the team aims to offer alternative pathways to high school
completion for students who suffered from learning loss and
disengagement amid the health crisis.
The TD Ready Challenge is a key component of TD's efforts to
develop solutions that benefit its customers and enrich the lives
of society. For more information about the 2021 TD Ready Challenge
and winners, visit td.com/readychallenge. For additional
information about the TD Ready Commitment, please visit
td.com/tdreadycommitment.
About the 2021 TD Ready Challenge Problem
Statement
The 2021 TD Ready Challenge encourages
groundbreaking solutions that address predicted learning loss in
math and reading for students in grades K-12 amid the COVID-19
pandemic. Preferred applicants are able to support and demonstrate
a measurable impact on students who have been disproportionately
affected by factors such as race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status
and geographic location. For more information, please visit
td.com/readychallenge.
About the TD Ready Commitment
TD has a long-standing
commitment to enriching the lives of its customers, colleagues and
communities. As part of its corporate citizenship platform, the TD
Ready Commitment, TD is targeting CAN $1
billion (USD $775 million) in
total by 2030 towards community giving in four areas critical to
help open doors for a more inclusive and sustainable tomorrow –
Financial Security, Vibrant Planet, Connected Communities and
Better Health. Through the TD Ready Commitment, TD aspires to link
its business, philanthropy and human capital to help people feel
more confident – not just about their finances, but also in their
ability to achieve their personal goals in a changing world. For
further information, visit td.com/tdreadycommitment.
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SOURCE TD Bank