This page is dedicated to the things that inspire us to pay it forward. We are so motivated by our daily work with children and we realize more every day that we can have an astounding impact on the communities we work in, and with children around the world. From small acts of kindness to large gestures and donations, Explore It! Inc. wants to make difference – and we’re excited to show you how.
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Pay It Forward Bursary Program
We are pleased to be able to provide support in a variety of ways to our public schools and their fundraising efforts. Explore It! regularly donates to the School Parent Councils that we partner with. Many of our give-back programs are ongoing to assist each Council’s efforts to fund worthy causes in the school. In addition we continue to be proud of our discrete fully subsidized bursary program for deserving students whose families are facing financial pressure. Should you wish to assist a deserving student at your school please contact us for information about our 50/50 bursary program where the parent or Council pays a portion of the program fee and Explore It! covers the remainder.
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Environmental Defence Canada
At Explore It!, we like to take the time to reflect on the year just past and to look forward to what’s to come. And – we don’t mind generating a little “good karma” with a charitable donation or two – to pay our good fortune forward and to remind us all about what is truly important in this life. This year, we’re looking at our company practices and working hard to become more environmentally responsible day-by-day, program-by-program, choice-by-choice. We believe in leading by example and so – this year, our donation goes to Environmental Defence Canada.
The focus of Environmental Defence Canada is on environmental regulations and achieving policy changes on environmental issues in Canada. Programs cited by EDC include the Province of Ontario Green Belt legislation; reduction in toxicity in house- hold products; cleanup of shorelines; and climate change action. You can donate to Environmental Defence Canada by clicking on their logo above.
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Movember
Paying it forward, helping a cause, and becoming a part of something more than just ourselves is so important. There are people, places and animals next door, down the street and around the world that need our help – and there are so many ways we (and you!) can help. This November we’re donating to a very important cause – Movember: the leading charity changing the face of men’s health; tackling prostate and testicular cancer, mental health and suicide prevention. You can donate too by clicking on the logo to the left. Let’s all grow a mustache and give what we can to this worthy cause!
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Performing Arts
It’s no secret that we’re passionate about the performing arts at Explore It! We make an effort to support all levels of theatre in the GTA in any way we can and are proud to be donating members of Mirvish, The Stratford Festival and The Shaw Festival, where we attend enriching workshops and are inspired by the great talents being showcased. We believe strongly in the power theatre can have on a child’s life and are proud to consider these fine companies our friends.
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Canadian Cancer Society
2018 was a hard year for many of us – but we must try to remember to reflect on the positives : the silver linings and happy moments that are always present in life. After a year of personal loss, we’ve chosen to dedicate our contributions this winter to the Canadian Cancer Society – to support them as they fund promising cancer research, help bring about healthy public policies and provide information and support services in communities across Canada. It is with the warmest of memories of those we’ve lost that we make this contribution to a very worthy cause. You can donate too by clicking on the logo to the left.
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We’re proud to announce that as of August 2018, Explore It! is now a Corporate Member of the Canada Safety Council – an independent, knowledge-based, charitable organization dedicated to the cause of safety. As a not-for-profit, non-government organization, the Council provides national leadership in safety through information, education and collaboration. At Explore It!, we’re happy to donate regularly to the Council and – through their standards of education, will be offering Home Alone and Babysitting programs to students in select schools starting this fall.
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Paying it forward is such an important part of what we can do as a small business. While giving back is important all year long, the holidays always inspire us to give a little more generously. This winter 2017, we’re happy to make donations to both the Daily Bread Food Bank – a wonderful charity fighting hunger in our communities – as well as Toronto Cat Rescue – a no-kill, cat rescue organization operating across south Ontario and into Quebec. Our kitties are a part of our company and they wanted to pay it forward with us this year … how could we say no? You can donate too by clicking on the logos to the left!
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We’re so happy this to send some much needed support to the SickKids Foundation. This particular donation in 2017 has been made on behalf of a very charitable Instructor on our team – who chooses to donate their earnings instead of taking them personally. A truly generous act that inspires us to all do what we can for those in need. You can donate too by clicking on their logo to the left!
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We’re so happy this December 2016 to send some much needed support to the Daily Bread Food Bank. As a company with deep passions for Whole Food and Sustainability through education, feeding our community seems like an obvious cause to support. The Daily Bread Food Bank is a registered charity that is fighting hunger in our communities. Every year thousands of people across Toronto rely on food banks. A distribution hub, Daily Bread provides food and support to almost 200 food programs across Toronto and is the largest provider of food relief in the GTA. You can donate too by clicking on their logo to the left!
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Another year, another 5k. We’re so happy to be able to make this a yearly event for our team.
On a chilly, wet 2015 morning, we got out and walked and ran in support of SickKids Foundation – a truly worthy cause. We can’t think of a better way to [literally] kick off the school year than with a team event followed by a yummy brunch. Looking forward to next year already!
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Smiles make the sun rise and the world turn. Maybe not exactly scientific, but it’s thoughts like this that warm our hearts and make us here at Explore It! want to work harder and to do more. To celebrate the launch of our Spring 2015 Term, we’ve made a donation to our children’s charity of choice – SickKids Foundation and encourage others to do the same. We WILL be the change we want to see in the world. Happy Spring everyone!
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We did it again! On September 13th 2014, Directors Liz and Randy plunged into the Toronto 5k in support of the SickKids Foundation with a team of instructors at their sides. We ran, we walked, we ate cupcakes and we raised $1200 for an amazing cause dear to our hearts. MANY thanks and high-fives to our inspiring team – Thea, Valentina, Nick, Gina and Kymberley – we would never be able to do what we do without you.
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While we routinely “give back” to our schools in little ways, we love when we get the chance to do something truly meaningful for them. When we heard that Ledbury Park P.S. wanted to redevelop their playscape with equipment that is safe, secure and stimulating for their children – we knew we wanted to support the cause! They have some fantastic fundraising efforts happening – and they’re so close to realizing their dream! We contributed to this wonderful cause in 2014 through their Brick by Brick campaign – where people can purchase bricks to be engraved and then permanently installed in the walkway surrounding the playscape. What a fantastic idea… we think this will be a showstopper installation for many years to come – always reminding us that it is when we come together as a community that we truly affect change. Way to go Ledbury Park – we can’t wait to visit (and enjoy!) the new playscape!
You can also donate to this worthy cause by clicking on the Ledbury Park Logo above!
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In honor of our incredible instructors who trudged through SNOWMAGEDDON on February 5th 2014 to provide great programming, we’ve made a donation to the very worthy SickKids Foundation.
Thanks so much Thea, Maggie, Leilani, Tiffany, Kymberley, Georgia, Nick, Patrick, Suki and Michelle for inspiring us to pay it forward!
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On September 14th 2013, our Director Liz and 4 of our incredible instructors – Thea, Kelly, Jill and Laura – ran a 5k for charity, raising over $900 for a VERY worthy cause. We chose the Toronto 5k in support of the SickKids Foundation as our first foray into the world of fundraising and we’re sure there will be many more… The cool t-shirts and celebratory breakfast were great and supporting SickKids was more than just icing on our cake (mmmm…. cake!) – this whole “run for a cause” thing was a huge hit!
