Ryerson University Celebrates 10 Years of Spanning The Gaps - Access to Post-Secondary Education

TORONTO, Sept. 21, 2017 /CNW/ - On September 20, Ryerson University celebrated the 10th anniversary of Spanning The Gaps -- Access to Post-Secondary Education at The G. Raymond Chang School of Continuing Education. Launched initially as a special project in 2008, Spanning The Gaps aims to give people from marginalized communities access to higher education through a series of programs designed to help students qualify for full admission to the university.

"For more than a decade, Spanning The Gaps has been giving deserving students the opportunity to follow their life and career goals. At Ryerson, we believe in removing barriers to education through fostering inclusion, diversity and equality," said Marie Bountrogianni, Dean of The Chang School. "Access to education is not a privilege, it is a right. We are very grateful to the dedicated staff and community partners who have helped the program reach this incredible milestone. Together, we will continue to help hardworking students fulfill their potential and follow their dreams."

Spanning The Gaps consists of programs that assist high school youth and adults who might not otherwise experience post-secondary education:

"The Spanning The Gaps program at The Chang School has been an enormous instrument of change in many peoples' lives," says O'neil Edwards, Program Director of Spanning The Gaps. "When our students thought there were no opportunities available to them, our program opened doors to help them access education, pursue their learning goals, and better their lives."

Prior to the program's launch 10 years ago, there were few opportunities for people who had come from non-traditional education backgrounds, yet had the ability to be successful university students. Founded on the idea that education can break cycles of intergenerational poverty and social exclusion, Spanning The Gaps supports students who often come to Ryerson despite facing unique challenges in life.

Take Tali Ajimal, for example: after years of poverty and a short spell of homelessness, Tali applied to Ryerson, and while she didn't get into the undergraduate program of her choice, she was invited to participate in the first cohort of Spanning The Gaps, which enabled her to pursue a degree in sociology. Tali now works at Ryerson's English as a Second Language Foundation Program helping students transition to university life.

"I had a lot of support from Spanning The Gaps. They really helped me balance my responsibilities to work and school at a time when I was also tackling challenges in my personal life," said Tali.

The success of Spanning The Gaps is due in part to generous contributions to the program. Toronto philanthropists Phyllis and William Waters were early supporters of Spanning The Gaps with a foundational gift of $1 million in 2008, and, in 2010, TD Bank Group supported the Road to Ryerson program within Spanning The Gaps through part of their gift of $750,000 to the Make Your Mark campaign.

Since 2008, more than 16,000 people have taken workshops, information sessions or courses, opening new doors to new educational opportunities.

With approximately 70,000 annual enrollments, The G. Raymond Chang School of Continuing Education is Canada's leading provider of university-based adult education. Offering over 1500 courses, seminars, and workshops, 89 career-related certificate programs – 22 of which can be completed entirely at a distance – and 13 part-time degree programs, the school's mission is to be a leader in innovative, quality, lifelong learning that empowers adults to reach their life and career goals. For more information, visit ryerson.ca/ce.

Ryerson University is Canada's leader in innovative, career-oriented education. Urban, culturally diverse and inclusive, the university is home to more than 44,600 students, including 2,600 master's and PhD students, 3,100 faculty and staff, and nearly 185,000 alumni worldwide. For more information, visit ryerson.ca 

SOURCE Ryerson University