Champion Project Recipients Spring 2023 

7 Grants

$14,650 Awarded

​5,460 Students/Community Members Impacted
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As one of the six Funds supported by the Foundation, it is our hope that our Champion Projects help the children and youth at ECS to: nurture their moral and spiritual development; develop their leadership and team-building skills; and to practice their Catholic social justice responsibilities.

Louis St. Laurent | Mary's Grotto

Led by Religion 35 students, this project will transform Louis’ enclosed courtyard to create a devotional space to Mary. Students can gather in this quiet, calming space to reflect and pray. This grant will support a large statue of the Blessed Mother, an arch with vines, plants, soil, flowers and stones creating a grotto.
​"Beyond construction, students will have an opportunity to organize events at the grotto with younger students. This beautiful area will also offer students a place to read quietly, sketch and destress from everyday pressures as they connect with Our Lady." - Louis St. Laurent staff

St. Thomas Aquinas | School Garden and Growing with STEM  

This project has the goal of maintaining and improving the school’s garden, where students are able to grow their own food. Funds used will provide new planting/mineral supplies, and replace tools that need maintenance. Students are taught how to clone or propagate plants for the school garden, aeroponic technology that can reduce plant water usage, and how to be stewards of the earth while feeding their community.
​"Our outdoor garden allows our students to bask in God's radiance, and our indoor gardens give us hope for the spring on the coldest winter days. Gardening creates community as we work together to create a space for learning, prayer, and rejuvenation." - St. Thomas Aquinas staff

Christ the King | CTK Recess Leaders 

Ten grade 4-6 students will participate in ECSD’s "LEAD Recess Training", where they will learn proper play and how to be a recess leader. This Champion Projects grant will be used to purchase new recess games and tools, which these LEAD students, once they return to the school, will use in trained group work with their peers to create a larger group of "leaders", who will then provide guidance to the younger grades. This will promote collaborative and cooperative play throughout the school. The project will "enrich the school community by strengthening a safe, welcoming, and caring atmosphere during recess time." - Christ the King staff

Archbishop O'Leary | Spartans in Action

Archbishop O’Leary’s religion students participate in a service collaboration project with St. Matthew, a nearby high-needs elementary school. O’Leary students travel to St. Matthew to lead in the literacy, numeracy, and social/emotional support of their younger peers, creating opportunities to engage in hands-on learning experiences. The funds will be used to purchase toolkits which contain literacy games, dice, duotangs, etc. to enhance the mentorship experience, as well as supports a year-end “graduation” ceremony to acknowledge the growth of both groups of students. This project will "promote student responsibility, commitment, communication, problem solving, and mentorship, and support students in exploring their Catholic identity and their relationship to Jesus as seen through their interactions." - Archbishop O'Leary Staff

St. Mary | Indigenous Reconciliation Garden 

The goal of the Indigenous Reconciliation Garden is to create opportunities to engage the school population with reconciliation practices and land-based learning opportunities. The funds will be used to create a medicine wheel-shaped garden, and will support upkeep and growth of other plants in the greenhouse. All members of the school will have the opportunity to paint and write a prayer on a stone in the garden. As well, St. Mary will host a Harvest Festival with the plants and vegetables that are grown.
"The long-term impact of this project means that we are providing a usable and sustainable garden to assist in the delivery of curricular outcomes for classes, and to continue to educate students and the community on reconciliation and respectful practices with Indigenous traditions." - St. Mary Staff

Ben Calf Robe - St. Clare | Healing Garden Project​

​The goal of this Healing Garden is to embrace the culture of the largely FNMI student population through symbols of cultural awareness, reconciliation, and healing. The space will be full of native plants and natural medicines, with the garden being designed to resemble a traditional Indigenous Medicine Wheel. The garden will be designed to offer both educational and spiritual benefits. Students may learn, work, and pray together within the framework of their cultures, histories, and ancestries.
"A major goal of this undertaking is that the garden will make students feel celebrated and honoured, emphasizing that their culture is relevant and valued by the community." - Ben Calf Robe School Project Team

St. Justin | St. Justin 50th Anniversary Commemorative Mural​​

Depicting the image of St. Justin, this mural will provide a visual reminder of the strength of St. Justin’s faith. Children will be able to create a tile, which a local artist will incorporate into the final mural. A sacred space will be created around the mural, allowing classes to reflect together, pray together, and receive sacred teaching as a community.
"The goals of this project are to commemorate the 50th anniversary of St. Justin School, to inspire and uplift future generations at St. Justin, to facilitate a sense of belonging and investment in our current students and staff as they create the mural together, to act as a teacher so our community knows who St. Justin was and how his role as a philosopher and student drew him to faith in Christ, to be a focal point for our sacred space, and to encourage children to provide a sense of belonging." - St. Justin staff