In a rapidly changing world driven by technological advancement, women continue to face persistent gender gaps in STEM, entrepreneurship and the arts.
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women → change → STEM
To address this, Branksome Hall has raised $46.1 million to help girls build the technical, creative and human skills needed to lead through change.
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girls → address → change
The school’s Make Way Campaign exceeded its original $30-million goal by more than $16 million, making it one of the largest fundraising campaigns undertaken by a girls’ school in Canada.
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it → make → Canada
The campaign’s impact is already visible in the new Karen L. Jurjevich Innovation Centre & Studio Theatre (iCAST), which opened last week.
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which → open → Centre
The 36,000-plus-square-foot facility brings science, technology, engineering, entrepreneurship, design, media and the performing arts together in one hands-on learning environment.
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facility → bring → environment
The first facility of its kind at a K–12 school in Canada and one of only five in North America, students will move across disciplines—from robotics and fabrication to film, virtual reality, entrepreneurship and live performance—learning not simply to use emerging technologies, but to question, create and lead with them.
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students → move → them
The investment comes as Canada faces a persistent gender gap in the digital economy.
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Canada → come → economy
Women represent 48 per cent of the Canadian workforce but only 34.8 per cent of workers in the digital economy—and just 9 per cent of executive and senior management roles in the technology sector—according to the Information and Communications Technology Council.
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Women → represent → Council
The scale of the results of the Make Way Campaign reflects broad community participation: more than 2,000 donors made more than 7,600 gifts over the course of the campaign.
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donors → reflect → campaign
Twelve gifts were $1 million or more—including two gifts of $5 million—but campaign leaders say gifts at every level helped propel Make Way beyond its goal.
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gifts → include → goal
“This result sends a powerful message about what happens when a community invests boldly in girls,” said Claire MacNamara, Co-Chair of the Make Way Campaign.
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MacNamara → send → Campaign
“We surpassed an ambitious goal, but the number that matters most is the opportunity that follows: more girls gaining access, testing ideas, taking creative risks and seeing themselves as the people who will shape what comes next.
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what → surpass → people
Make Way extends well beyond the new building.
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Way → make → building
The campaign also invested in Financial Assistance, helping more students access a Branksome education, and in the Opportunity Fund, which supports emerging learning opportunities, co-curricular experiences, athletics, the arts and campus priorities.
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which → invest → opportunities
Together, the three campaign pillars connect access with the kinds of interdisciplinary experiences students will need in a fast-changing world.
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students → connect → world
“As the world continues to evolve, the skills young people need are evolving with it—underscoring the importance of distinctly human strengths such as curiosity, judgment, creativity, collaboration and courage,” said Grace McCallum, Principal of Branksome Hall.
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McCallum → continue → Hall
“This building will nurture these essential power skills, giving girls the confidence and capability not simply to navigate the future, but to shape it.”
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building → nurture → it
That mission is especially urgent as employers place growing value on both technological literacy and human capabilities such as creative thinking, resilience and lifelong learning.
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employers → place → thinking
iCAST is designed to let students develop those strengths together—across STEM, the arts, entrepreneurship and real-world problem-solving.
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students → design → STEM
Campaign leaders, students and educators are available for interviews, and media tours of iCAST can be arranged.
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tours → arrange → iCAST
For more information about the Make Way Campaign, visit www.branksome.on.ca/giving/make-way-campaign/.
About Branksome Hall
Branksome Hall, a leading independent International Baccalaureate (IB) World School for girls, challenges and inspires students to love learning and to shape a better world.
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Hall → visit → world
Through a unique combination of outstanding academics, well-being and international mindedness, students become impactful leaders who give back to their communities.
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who → become → communities
Valuing Sense of Community, Inclusiveness, Creativity and Making a Difference, Branksome offers a liberal arts curriculum that develops critical thinking and inquiry skills.
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that → value → thinking
The Aporia
