Our Approach

Since the early days The W. Garfield Weston Foundation has supported education programs for children and young adults. The Weston family has had a strong interest in education through all three generations associated with the Foundation. 

Today, the Foundation supports various educational initiatives, without advocating one method of schooling over another. Currently, its primary support is directed towards college and university scholarships.

Goal: To support educational programs which recognize and facilitate educational achievement, community involvement, and leadership.

Strategy:

• Granting scholarships and awards to support future academic and community leaders.

One way in which the Foundation meets its goal is through the support of college and university scholarships in partnership with The Canadian Merit Scholarship Foundation (CMSF).  Since 1997, The W. Garfield Weston Foundation has been a principal supporter of CMSF. 
The W. Garfield Weston Award recipients show academic strength and take leadership in their schools and within their communities.

Other education initiatives include support for the Canada Awards for Excellence in Education. Based on objective measures of student success, the Fraser Institute presents awards to schools who have proven to be successful and effective leaders in education. The Foundation is proud to award The Garfield Weston Award for Excellence in Language Arts and The Garfield Weston Award for Improvement in Academics to elementary schools who demonstrate outstanding achievements in these categories. These awards will carry on the decade long tradition of honouring excellence in education established by the former Garfield Weston Outstanding Principals Award. Another Fraser Institute initiative, Children First, fosters parent choice by providing underserved, low income families with needed funds for their children to be able to attend an elementary school of choice.

In September 2011, The Weston Family Learning Centre at the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) will open to the public. The Foundation’s generous lead gift of $12 million helped create a new vibrant home where people of all ages will come together to explore their creativity and the arts. The Foundation’s gift also established the AGO’s first ever education program endowment fund. The Weston Foundation Teacher Training Fund supports teacher workshops centered on the AGO’s special exhibits and collections enabling teachers to integrate the arts into the classroom curriculum.

In 2004, the Royal Ontario Museum, received a special gift for its 90th birthday. The Hon. Hilary M. Weston, Chair of Renaissance ROM, announced a donation of $20 million, consisting of $10 million from Hilary and Galen Weston and $10 million from The W. Garfield Weston Foundation.

In 2003, The W. Garfield Weston Foundation announced its commitment of $15 million to the Ontario Science Centre building on the family's legacy of community support, as well as its strong commitment to education. The Weston Family Innovation Centre continues to inspire young people and sustain their fascination with science.