A visionary, an entrepreneur, a philanthropist. Ted Rogers was one of kind. From his unstoppable ambition to his unique ability to connect with people, Ted Rogers pathed the way for so many in his journey to success. As Rogers Communications CEO and Founder, his list of accomplishments is astonishing. In addition to his achievements as a business leader, Ted Rogers dedicated much of his energy to philanthropy; giving back to the society that his work had such a profound impact on.

Nothing stood in the way of his desire to improve lives, both through the avenue of business and the avenue of education. He recognized the benefits of investing in his community. Throughout his life, Ted Rogers donated millions to various charities including the Toronto General Hospital and the University of Toronto.

A fearless and strong leader, Ted Rogers was deeply devoted to providing youth with opportunities to shine and excel in their futures. He had always believed that an educated nation was a strong nation. To honour the late Ted Rogers, the Ted Rogers Scholarship was generously created by the Rogers’ family and launched in 2017 to carry on Ted’s values and legacy. The scholarship program provides youth with the opportunity to pursue meaningful post-secondary education. Recipients of the scholarships are leaders in their community, who give back daily and pride themselves in being their very best selves.

The program offers 150 community scholarships annually to 15 different community partners. Power To Be has the great honour of being one of the fifteen partner organizations that receive the scholarship. This means that every year, we get to recognize two young leaders that are Power To Be participants and present them with the opportunity to pursue their dreams.

The program is catered to those who face socio-economic barriers in pursuing post-secondary education, as it works to remove barriers so more people have access to education. In addition to generating incentive, the scholarship provides students with the skills, tools, and confidence to succeed. As of September 2019, there are 1000 students in school with the support of the Ted Rogers Scholarship. Included in this group is a Power To Be scholarship recipient who is currently pursuing a degree at Thompson Rivers University, “Ted Rogers has helped me in many ways. The scholarship program helped show me that I truly am incredible and that with enough motivation anything is possible. School always felt like it wasn’t a possibility because of how expensive it is, but with the help of Ted Rogers Scholarship going into post-secondary was financially possible. I’m halfway through my program and still loving it! I am very thankful for the opportunity I received from the Ted Rogers Scholarship.”

The Ted Rogers Scholarship embodies accessibility, inclusion, and belonging in the realm of education. A complimentary partner to Power To Be’s mission. Ted Rogers and his legacy continues to inspire our work at Power To Be every day. The differences made in the lives of so many because of Ted Rogers’ work is truly inspiring and we at Power To Be will continue to honour his legacy in everything that we do.

“I can think of few things worse than good minds not developing to their full potential because of economic reasons. Education can remake a city, a province or a country and can produce a growing middle class in only one generation.” – Ted Rogers