Travel Scholarships:

Every year in Ontario, over 300,000 students hit the road with classmates on their annual school trip. In addition, over 4,500 students are left behind to only imagine what their year-end trip might have been like.

It is the mission of the MLH Youth Fund to provide scholarships to disadvantaged Canadian youth under the age of 18 to travel with their classmates on school sanctioned tours.

Sponsoring these students to attend their class trip provides inclusion and boosts self-esteem. Inclusion also ensures equality in education beyond the classroom. In Campaign 2000, by Laurel Rothman, an independent survey of students in North Bay states that the impact of poverty goes beyond material deprivation and contributes to social exclusion. As Grade 4 & 5 students in North Bay told us, poverty is: feeling ashamed when my dad can't get a job; pretending that you forgot your lunch; being afraid to tell your Mom you need gym shoes; not buying books at the book fair; not getting to go on school trips.

The Mary Lynn Higgins Youth Fund provides travel scholarships to students at the elementary and high school level. These scholarships are awarded to students in good standing who would otherwise not be able to travel with their class due to financial restrictions. Students are nominated by one of the faculty and the nomination is endorsed by the Principal.

Recipient Profile:

95% of our recipients are under the age of 13. Due to family circumstances beyond their control, financial resources for their school sanctioned tour is out of reach. These students are dedicated learners, active fundraisers and volunteer within their community. All students are extremely appreciative for any financial assistance that allows them to thrive in an equal and inclusive envirnment.

The MLH Youth Fund has no administration costs!

The MLH Youth Fund has received tremendous encouragement from the Boards of Education and is viewed as a vital component for out-of-the-classroom education. Scholarships were awarded to 125 students in the 2017 travel year. It is our goal in 2018, to sponsor 180 students. We need your help to achieve this. Simply click on the "Donate" button on this page. Please note that 100% of all donations go to the students. To date, we have assisted over 1200 students, totalling over $520,000.