Current Projects and New Initiatives

Many thanks for the generous support in 2017 from the Greater Tacoma Community Foundation.

With their support we have been able to update our learning modules for inclusion facilitators and create a resource for practitioners, academics, and community stakeholders.

Student Scholarship and Recent Graduate Bursary Funds

Occasionally students or recent alumni require financial assistance to pay for tuition, course material or to embark on projects requiring tools, attendance at specialized workshops or conferences, such as the UBCO Student Leadership Conference, which they cannot afford. STEPS Forward therefore maintains a Bursary Fund so that financial ability is not a factor in limiting access or success of the students or recent grads.

A healthy annual fund to meet these costs is around $10,000. This year our fund is very low. Your support in helping us to build it back up to a level capable of responding to the student's needs would be greatly appreciated.

Find out how you can donate

Current IPSE Propositions + Projects:

Responding to Families across BC requesting inclusive access to Post-Secondary Education at their local College, Vocational Program or University.
Expansion to northern BC Campuses with a focus on collaborating with local leaders on increasing accessibility to Post Secondary Education for Aboriginal youth with developmental disabilities.
Sustaining the Student Scholarship and Alumni Bursary Funds so that financial ability is Not A barrier to education or career development.

Our priority is to respond to young adults and families outside of the Lower Mainland who have asked us to support them to access studies at their local colleges and universities. From 2017-2019 we are committed to:

Establishing two new IPSE initiatives in two of the following regions:
Northern BC
Vancouver Island
Fraser Valley

We have started the consultative process towards achieving these goals by::

Meeting with youth, families, Aboriginal and non-Aborginal post-secondary education leaders
Opening discussions about agreements with local post secondary educational institutions
Setting up workshops for families, local school boards, high schools, faculty, campus staff, student societies, employers, and other community groups.