Desjardins Foundation: 479,000 young people prepared for the future in the past year

Thanks to the support of all of Desjardins, 479,000 young people of all ages and backgrounds received a helping hand from the Desjardins Foundation in 2022.

Supporting teachers and youth stakeholders

Teachers and stakeholders move mountains every day for our youth. They're full of ideas on how to motivate and support them in their overall development, but they don't always have the resources to carry out these projects. This is exactly why the Desjardins Foundation Prizes were created: for Mr. Bruno to introduce his students to finance with a stock market simulation experience, for Ms. Josée to create a peaceful haven for her young people who need a sensory break in their day, or for Ms. Vanessa to produce a musical with her music students.

In 2022, 546 projects were selected and will provide 96,500 young people with a motivating and rewarding experience. Thank you to the directors, employees and agents of Desjardins for voting in such large numbers to select the winning projects.

Rewarding students for staying in school and their commitment

What do Steven, Beatrice, Sejla and 3,978 other students from Quebec and Ontario have in common? They all received a scholarship from Desjardins to help them with their studies! In total, $5.3 million was donated in the past year, of which $2.6 million was donated by the Foundation and $2.7 million by caisses.

Working together to broaden our impact

Each young person is unique and experiences their own challenges. This is why the Desjardins Foundation supports close to 20 organizations that act on a variety of success factors in order to help as many young people as possible, regardless of their background or path.

Mental health

Mental health continues to be a growing concern as 1 in 2 young people report experiencing anxiety or depressive symptoms and the demand for support is constantly increasing. For this reason, the Foundation made the largest donation in its history last September with a $1 million contribution to Kids Help Phone, which provides a sympathetic ear to kids across the country, in addition to supporting the Fondation Jeunes en tête's prevention initiatives and the Institut Pacifique's emotional management workshops.

Preparing for school

Language development and early reading skills are important assets in preparing for school and can make a huge difference in a child's progress. That's why the Foundation supports Lire et faire lire, which uses an intergenerational approach to introduce the joy of reading to young children, and the Quebec Library Association's Biblio-Jeux program, which offers free fun workshops for families.

Finding their way

It's not always easy when you're a teenager or a young adult to find your own way to grow and thrive. For some, there's nothing like real-world experience to discover their path. The Réseau CFER, a network of business schools, is helping to develop engaged and productive young adults. For others, it's the musical approach of the Jeunes musiciens du monde that makes all the difference in helping them achieve their full potential, a valuable tool for having a positive outlook!

Thank you to everyone who's contributing to the success of our educational initiatives. We strongly believe that education is the best way to make a lasting impact on our communities.