Grants and student awards

Field of Interest grants 2021

Hamilton Community Foundation recently awarded grants from its Field of Interest open call for programs focusing on literacy through history and poverty relief.

1. Literacy through History

This granting initiative provides funding for projects that focus on the broad fields of literacy and education through the study of history and historical events related to Black, Indigenous, people of colour, 2SLGBTQIA+ and Jewish communities.

2. Poverty Relief: Meeting Basic Needs

In recognition of the disproportionate effect the pandemic has had on marginalized communities in Hamilton, special consideration was given to organizations led by Black, Indigenous and people of colour, and/or organizations with services/programs that focus on racialized communities. This focus of funding is to support initiatives directed to relieving poverty for individuals and families experiencing marginalization (e.g., through food, transportation, shelter etc.).

Grants were awarded as follows:

OrganizationProject descriptionGrant amount
Afro-Canadian Caribbean AssociationTells the stories of the Black community in Hamilton using griot format (African drumming and dance in combination with oral storytelling)$3,000
Afro-Canadian Caribbean AssociationSupports cultural food needs faced by low-income Black/African/Caribbean residents living in Hamilton$5,000
Ancaster High Secondary School (Sponsored by Hamilton Foundation for Student Success)Supports a student-curated museum to explore the Canadian experience through artifacts and inclusive stories of diverse Canadian experiences.$3,000
Bellmoore Public School (Sponsored by Hamilton Foundation for Student Success)Supports learning about history of Indigenous, Black and 2SLGBTQIA+ communities in Canada$2,500
Dundas Central Public School (Sponsored by Hamilton Foundation for Student Success)Supports learning about the lives and contributions of Black Canadians in our community in the 19th and 20th centuries$854
Filipinas of HamOnt (Sponsored by YWCA Hamilton)Supports ka/SAYSAY/ project, an accessible, feminist, and decolonial history approach to diasporic history education$3,000
Ghana Association of Hamilton (Sponsored by The Church of Pentecost Canada Inc.)Provides elementary and high school students of Ghanaian descent in Hamilton with literacy skills in at least one Ghanaian language and the history of the first Africans who arrived in Canada through the underground railway system from America$3,000
Ghana Association of Hamilton (Sponsored by The Church of Pentecost Canada Inc.)Supports grocery/food voucher distribution program to help families who are facing food insecurities.$3,263
Glendale Secondary School (Sponsored by Hamilton Foundation for Student Success)Supports education about the history of Stewart Memorial Church and its vital role in the lives of both Hamilton’s Black community and the community at large$3,000
Hamilton Foundation for Student SuccessSupports creation of diverse classroom libraries that are accessible to traditionally underserved students.$3,000
Munar Learning  Center (Sponsored by Empowerment Squared)Provides nutritious afterschool meals to children from families facing challenges, many being refugee families.$5,000
R.A. Riddell Elementary School (Sponsored by Hamilton Foundation for Student Success)Supports education about the geography, Indigenous and settler history, the food webs and organisms, and the impact of climate change and pollution on Lake Ontario.$3,000
Righting Relations Hamilton Circle (Sponsored by Working Women’s Community Centre)Supports Settler Reflection Series which provides radical and unconventional literary tools and materials to understand the historical and current impact of colonialism in Canada. Helps participants to reflect on their own stories and identities in order to come to terms with our collective responsibilities.$3,000
Sherwood Secondary School (Sponsored by Hamilton Foundation for Student Success)Supports resources for students in understanding topics including the Holocaust, racism and anti-oppression and anti-racism strategies.$2,070
Sherwood Secondary School (Sponsored by Hamilton Foundation for Student Success)Supports students’ media literacy and learning about North American Indigenous culture through a videogame created in collaboration with the Inupiat community in Alaska.$2,132
Westdale Secondary School (Sponsored by Hamilton Foundation for Student Success)Supports learning about local history of the Black community in the Hamilton/Toronto area.$2,990
Westdale Secondary School  (Sponsored by Hamilton Foundation for Student Success)Supports learning history behind the current day issues facing Indigenous peoples in Canada, from Indigenous perspectives.$3,000