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Literacy and Education

Our stakeholders continually tell us that literacy and education are a top issue to them. TD is dedicated to making a difference, and we find ways to contribute at many different levels — from sponsoring reading clubs for kids to funding student scholarships.

TD Summer Reading Club

For 13 years, the TD Summer Reading Club has encouraged millions of children in libraries across Canada to develop a passion for reading while helping maintain their literacy skills during the summer holidays.

The award-winning reading club is made possible by TD, Library and Archives Canada and the Toronto Public Library. All kids who sign up receive a reading kit containing a coloured poster, sticker sheet and logbook to keep track of their progress. Many local libraries offer reading games, challenges and discussions, book-related crafts, author visits and storytelling sessions.

For the 2008 program, the theme was LOL (Laugh Out Loud) and more than 2,000 participating libraries offered a range of books for all reading levels that fit into the theme. Libraries included those in Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, Nunavut, Northwest Territories and the Yukon. A new feature last year was printing all 400,000 free reading kits given out across the country on Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified paper stock. In 2008, TD announced a new $2.7 million investment to help Library and Archives Canada and the Toronto Public Library continue to operate and grow the TD Summer Reading Club through 2011.

TD Canadian Children’s Book Week

TD is proud to support the largest free book distribution program to school-aged children in Canada. Each November, every Grade 1 student across the nation receives a free Canadian storybook as part of TD Canadian Children’s Book Week.

Organized by the Canadian Children’s Book Centre (CCBC) in cooperation with ministries of education, school boards and libraries — and fully funded by TD as the title sponsor — this innovative, far-reaching annual book giveaway is designed to create a love of reading among children by providing them with their very own personal book to take home and read with their family. In 2008, nearly 500,000 copies of Too Many Books! — by renowned children’s author Gilles Tibo and illustrator Bruno St-Aubin — were handed out to Grade 1 students across Canada courtesy of TD.

TD Canadian Children’s Literature Awards

Now in its fourth year, the annual TD Canadian Children’s Literature Awards encourage excellence in literary works for youth. Through this initiative of TD and the Canadian Children’s Book Centre, each winner receives $20,000, one of the largest prizes for Canadian children’s literature. In 2008, Christopher Paul Curtis’s Elijah of Buxton was recognized as the most distinguished English-language book while Gilles Vigneault and Stéphane Jorisch received the most distinguished French-language book award for Un Cadeau pour Sophie (A Gift for Sophie).

Junior Achievement

Through a collaboration between business, educators and government, Junior Achievement (JA) offers engaging in-class study programs to help kids understand how career choices translate into future success. TD and its employees have been actively involved in JA’s Economics of Staying in School (ESIS) program for more than 11 years. Complementing TD’s financial commitment of more than $235,000 in 2008, roughly 600 employees taught the course in Grade 8 classrooms across the country.

Scholarships and Bursaries

Due to the costs of higher learning, many young people need financial aid to continue their studies and pursue their goals. To help them reach their full potential, TD donates significant funds for student scholarships and bursaries:

$14 million and counting

Since 1995, the TD Canada Trust Scholarships for Community Leadership have awarded more than $14 million to 261 students from all parts of Canada who have made a real difference in their communities. Learn more in the TD Stories section.

• The TD Canada Trust Scholarships for Community Leadership is our signature program in this area and is deemed one of the most prestigious scholarships in the country. Out of admiration for exemplary youth who dedicate considerable time to support local causes that matter to them, each year we award the TD Canada Trust Scholarships for Community Leadership to 20 top achievers in their final year of high school (CEGEP in Quebec). Each scholarship provides full tuition, $5,000 per year toward living expenses and an offer of summer employment at TD for up to four years — for a total value of up to $60,000 per recipient, which is increasing to $70,000 in 2009.
• TD Bank Financial Group Bursaries: Annually, more than 500 aspiring students studying in various disciplines receive scholarship funds through this program via their Canadian university or college financial aid offices.
• TD 4-H Agricultural Scholarships: These scholarships help make it possible for 10 high-achieving Canadian students to study in the agriculture and agribusiness fields. TD has been a supporter of the 4-H Council, a rurally-based boys and girls club, since 1955.
• Harry Jerome Scholarship Fund: Our contribution provides two scholarships a year, along with summer employment at TD to African-Canadian students who demonstrate academic excellence, community leadership and financial need.

TD Waterhouse Investing in Youth

We set up the TD Waterhouse Investing in Youth initiative to promote the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award program in major Canadian cities. Young people earn the award by achieving their goals in community service, skills development and physical activity. To ensure that inner-city and disadvantaged youth are able to participate, we provide funding for the employment of field officers, who introduce the award to communities and support participants. Over the past three years, we have contributed $700,000 to the initiative.