We believe in the power of education and that all children should have access to post-secondary education. That’s why the CST Foundation partners with programs that support learning opportunities for children and youth.

We support music education

We know a child’s post-secondary aspirations and planning are shaped by the quality of children’s K-12 educational experiences. But the quality of those experiences varies greatly across our country, especially when it comes to music education.

We are proud to partner with MusiCounts, Canada’s music education charity. Like us, MusiCounts believes in the power of music education to lift, inspire and support children throughout their education journey. Their work is focused on building accessible and sustainable music programs for in-need schools and communities across Canada.

In support of MusiCounts, CST Foundation is thrilled to sponsor two awards.

The MusiCounts Inspired Minds Ambassador Award

The MusiCounts Inspired Minds Ambassador Award recognizes an individual who has had an extraordinary impact on music education and the MusiCounts charity over the course of its 20-year history. To honour each year’s award winner, three $10,000 Band Aid Grants are given to Canadian schools, funding instruments, equipment and resources for the schools’ music programs.

We have been proud sponsors of this award since 2017. Previous winners include Bob & Jan Ezrin, Jim Cuddy, Stephen Stohn & Linda Schuyler, and Gord Bamford. This year, we are excited to honour the 2021 winner, Gary Slaight!

Learn more about the MusiCounts Inspired Minds Ambassador Award here.

We know a child’s post-secondary aspirations and planning are shaped by the quality of children’s K-12 educational experiences. But the quality of those experiences varies greatly across our country, especially when it comes to music education.

We are proud to partner with MusiCounts, Canada’s music education charity. Like us, MusiCounts believes in the power of music education to lift, inspire and support children throughout their education journey. Their work is focused on building accessible and sustainable music programs for in-need schools and communities across Canada.

In support of MusiCounts, CST Foundation is thrilled to sponsor two awards.

The MusiCounts Teacher of the Year Award

The MusiCounts Teacher of the Year Award recognizes and honours an exceptional Canadian music teacher each year. This award celebrates the accomplishments of passionate and inspirational music educators across Canada who strive to preserve the livelihood of music education in their school and community. Each year’s award winner receives a donation to their school music program.

We have been proud sponsors of this award since 2020, where Charter Chiasson, a music teacher from Eskasoni, Nova Scotia was presented with this award. This year, we are excited to honour the 2021 winner, Dr. Mary Piercey-Lewis from Iqaluit, Nunavut!

Learn more about the MusiCounts Teacher of the Year Award here.The MusiCounts Teacher of the Year Award recognizes and honours an exceptional Canadian music teacher each year. This award celebrates the accomplishments of passionate and inspirational music educators across Canada who strive to preserve the livelihood of music education in their school and community. Each year’s award winner receives a donation to their school music program.

We have been proud sponsors of this award since 2020, where Charter Chiasson, a music teacher from Eskasoni, Nova Scotia was presented with this award. This year, we are excited to honour the 2021 winner, Dr. Mary Piercey-Lewis from Iqaluit, Nunavut!

Learn more about the MusiCounts Teacher of the Year Award here.

We support career education

We know that one of the barriers to post-secondary education is lack of knowledge about careers and career pathways. If a child cannot imagine a bright future for themselves and does not understand the path from education to career success, then there is low motivation to pursue post-secondary education.

We are proud to partner with Career Trek, a charity that helps young people discover the importance of education and career development. Career Trek provides career-oriented programming to ignite participants’ passion for learning and inspire them to recognize their own potential.

In support of Career Trek, the CST Foundation helps fund programs to teach families about education savings as well as fourteen “I Will Succeed Scholarships” for Career Trek participants. Lack of financial resources remains a critical barrier to post-secondary access for many Canadian families. We are proud to be able to support the critical work that Career Trek provides for under-served children and youth in Manitoba.

Learn more about Career Trek here.