Global insurance provider, guard.me, has donated CAN$1.4m to Toronto-based Centennial College, Ontario’s first public college, to fund overseas student initiatives at the institution.
The donation will support two outbound projects: the Global Experience Office, which enables students to gain academic credit studying abroad, and the Global Citizenship & Equity Learning Experience, which aims to encourage its students to become global citizens through undertaking humanitarian projects.
“We admire the tremendous work Centennial is doing in the field of international education”
Ann Buller, president and CEO of Centennial College, said the gift will allow the college to provide “more new and exciting comprehensive global learning experiences to students”.
Many of the international travel costs incurred by students taking part in the two projects are offset by the college, supported in part by donations such as the one made by guard.me.
It has so far sent nearly 500 students overseas over the last five years.
“As a long-term supporter of Centennial College we admire the tremendous work Centennial is doing in the field of international education,” commented Keith Segal, president and founder of guard.me.
“The GEO and GCELE programmes promote inclusivity, communication and cross-cultural partnerships that benefit international and domestic students.”
The endowment was made as a contribution to the IMPACT fundraising campaign, which began in spring 2014.
The drive is described as “Centennial’s most comprehensive fundraising campaign to date” and aims to raise $50m to support capital projects and student scholarships.
guard.me, which is headquartered in Ontario, has a history of supporting institutions in the province through donations, and has previously supported institutions including Sheridan College and Georgian College.
