The 2022 TD Ready Challenge awarded Skills for Change for their solution designed to assist people and communities who may be disproportionately affected by climate change and the transition to a low-carbon economy
Toronto, ON, February 28, 2023 – Skills for Change is pleased to be one of 10 recipients under the 2022 TD Ready Challenge presented by TD Bank Group (TD).
Skills for Change is pleased to launch our Youth Climate Action Initiative (YCAI), funded by TD, through the 2022 TD Ready Challenge. This program was developed to promote environmentalism and community involvement and focuses on leadership, health and wellness, social justice, advocacy, and climate action in neighbourhoods across Toronto. The YCAI encourages youth between the ages 16-29 living in the Greater Toronto Area to take charge and be leaders in creating climate action programs at the local level. It aims to empower racialized and/or newcomer youth to make a positive impact on their communities and the environment.
Through this program, youth will be able to increase access to healthy living conditions and green spaces, help communities adapt to environmental challenges, teach communities about their contributions to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, inspire local leadership, promote the net zero economy field as an exciting career option, show the importance of communities in protecting the planet, plant trees and create green spaces to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and pollution, and work towards building rapport on climate and community initiatives.
The TD Ready Challenge is part of the Bank’s longstanding commitment to helping support organizations that are working to create a more inclusive and sustainable future. Each year, the TD Ready Challenge invites eligible organizations to submit applications that offer solutions to a problem statement that is connected to one or more of the four drivers of the TD Ready Commitment: Financial Security, Vibrant Planet, Connected Communities and Better Health. In previous years, the TD Ready Challenge problem statement has focused on helping drive more equitable health outcomes, income stability, and addressing pandemic-related learning loss.
As both the private and public sectors take steps to mitigate the effects of climate change and the transition to a low-carbon economy, certain groups may be affected in different ways, including:
- Racialized and Indigenous communities
- Seniors, youth, and children
- Newcomers
- Low-income communities
- People with pre-existing health conditions and/or disabilities
- Communities that have traditionally been economically dependent on carbon-intensive industries
In total, TD awarded 10 grants of $1 million each (in CDN for Canadian organizations or USD for US organizations) as part of the 2022 TD Ready Challenge, to organizations like Skills for Change that are working towards balancing inequities, engage the unengaged, and serve the underserved.
“Promoting a more inclusive and sustainable future is core to our purpose as an organization and we are focused on helping our customers, colleagues and communities thrive in a rapidly changing world, ” said Janice Farrell Jones, Senior Vice President, Sustainability and Corporate Citizenship, TD Bank Group. “Through this year’s TD Ready Challenge, we are helping to enable organizations with promising new ideas to address the transition to a low-carbon economy and support those communities that are most affected.”
“TD’s generous funding through the Ready Commitment to support our Youth Climate Action Initiative for underserved youth across Toronto is a critical investment in the future of our planet,” notes CEO Surranna Sandy. “By empowering young people to take action on climate change, we are not only creating a more sustainable world and local sustainable communities, but also nurturing the next generation of leaders who will drive positive change. We are incredibly grateful for TD’s support and commitment to building a brighter, greener future for us all.”
Josephine Agueci, Supervisor of Sustainable Communities at Skills for Change states “The Sustainable Communities team here at Skills for Change is beyond grateful for the opportunity to build this Youth Climate Action Initiative with the generous support of the TD Ready Commitment. Our program focuses on “Building Skills for Sustainable Change” and providing experiential learning opportunities for transformative sustainability education. We aim to empower youth to meaningfully engage with their communities in pursuit of a more sustainable and equitable society – both today and into the future.”
A full list of TD Ready Challenge grant recipients as well as more information about the Program can be found at www.td.com/thereadychallenge.
