Centennial College is to be the recipient of a seven-figure gift that builds on the long-time relationship between the college and guard.me, which is both a partner providing student insurance to the college, and an endowment donor since 2013.
The gift will increase the endowment and offer new support to Centennial's Global Experience Office (GEO) and Global Citizenship & Equity Learning Experiences (GCELE) initiatives.
Both programs usually take place outside of Canada; GEO participants earn academic credits by studying and applying curriculum from their area of study, while GCELE participants volunteer on humanitarian projects.
"We admire the tremendous work Centennial College is doing in the field of international education and encouraging students to expand their academic and personal learning goals," said guard.me President and founder, Keith Segal. "The GEO and GCELE programs have pioneered ground-breaking initiatives and promoted inclusivity, communications and cross-cultural partnerships that benefit international and domestic students. We are thrilled to support the program!"
Lack of funds and financial support is most commonly cited as the reason why students do not seek out international experiences. Over the past five years Centennial has sent close to 500 participants on 50 global learning experiences. The college offsets many of the international travel costs, due in part to donations by partner organizations such as guard.me International Insurance.
"This generous gift from our friend and supporter, guard.me International Insurance, will enable us to provide more new and exciting comprehensive global learning experiences to students," said President and CEO of Centennial College, Ann Buller.
"We are committed to providing distinctive learning experiences that enrich students' lives and expose them to new possibilities."
