The Edmonton Public Schools Foundation was established in 2010 by the Division’s elected Board of Trustees. Our Foundation’s mandate is to raise awareness and funds to level the educational playing field in our community by supporting Division programs that exist outside of Alberta Government's public funding. We work with a committed Board of Directors who are dedicated to our mission, and genuinely care about the future of today’s learners and tomorrow’s leaders. 

Since beginning our fundraising work, six full-day Kindergarten classrooms have been established with support from the Foundation: Tipaskan, Lauderdale, Mee-Yah-Noh, Beacon Heights, Calder and Princeton schools. We are proud partners with the administrators, educators and communities of these schools, and champion the power of Full Day Kindergarten, which gives children extra time in the classroom, when they need it most.

Over the last year, through our Chromebooks for Kids program, hundreds of Chromebooks have been provided to students who otherwise wouldn’t have access to technology outside of the classroom. To date, we have distributed devices to more than 60 schools across Edmonton. 

Together with our community partners, we support evidence-based Division programming that addresses systemic inequities through investment across six funding priorities: Full Day Kindergarten; Learning Enhancements; Mental Wellness; School Nutrition; Learning Tools and Technology; and Enrichment Opportunities.

Kicking off on May 3rd, 2023, and culminating in May 31st, 2023, this two-week campaign challenges readers to push their reading habits to the limit. Everyone is encouraged to challenge friends and family to see who can read the most while supporting Edmonton Public Schools in the process! Participation includes the chance to win prizes for your reading progress. Participation is for everyone - those who want to read, support a reader, or both! 

While we generally encourage fundraising as part of the event, there is no obligation or requirement to fundraise. Please log your books, spread the word, and have fun! 

Reading for Life will run from May 3rd, 2023, to May 31st, 2023. Reading material you complete during this time will count towards your reading total. Donations can be made as soon as your fundraising page has been developed!

Share your progress on social media using the icons on your JustGiving page. Use the hashtag #ReadingForLife2023 and tag the Edmonton Public Schools Foundation:

Instagram - @epsbfoundation 
Twitter - @EPSFoundation
Facebook @Edmonton Public Schools Foundation

Edmonton Public Schools (@epsbnews) may also be tagged, and if you are affiliated with a school or organization, be sure to use their handles in your posts, too. We all look forward to celebrating your progress!

Watch the Edmonton Public Schools Foundation’s social media channels to get to know fellow readers! There will be themes, tips, book chats, and more posted. 

Have questions? We’re here to help! Reach out to us at foundation@epsb.ca

We expect all readers to determine what counts towards their reading total. If you are looking for guidance, we would suggest that the following formats should be logged:

• Adult, young adult, and children’s literature books of all genres and lengths.
• Audiobooks and eBooks.
• Comic books, graphic novels, and manga.

Other examples of reading material may include:

• Magazines
• Blogs
• Newspapers
• Podcasts

Update your reading progress by using the ‘Log Books’ button on the bottom right of your personal JustGiving page. Include the number of books you have completed and add any fun, descriptive details that you would like to share. Post a photo or video to update family and friends who are contributing to your reading goal!

Not savvy with technology or you just prefer paper and pencil? Track your reading using the Reading for Life Reading Log. 

If you choose to use the reading log and wish to earn prizes as part of the Reading Challenges, your completed log must be submitted by email to foundation@epsb.ca by 11:59 p.m. on May 31st, 2023. Either a photo of the completed reading log or a simple list of the books you read will suffice.

Have questions? We’re here to help! Reach out to us at foundation@epsb.ca

Contributions to Reading for Life benefit all 212 Edmonton Public Schools through the support and delivery of programming that addresses systemic inequities through investment across six funding priorities: Full Day Kindergarten; Learning Enhancements; Mental Wellness; School Nutrition; Learning Tools and Technology; and Enrichment Opportunities. Learn more at foundation.epsb.ca.

We abide by the Edmonton Public School Board’s privacy policies. 

Edmonton Public Schools Foundation has developed this website as a resource for individuals and organizations wanting information about Edmonton Public Schools Foundation, its services and resources.

We are committed to providing our visitors with a website that respects privacy. 

We do not automatically gather any personal information from you, such as your name, phone number, or e-mail address. This information is only obtained if you supply it voluntarily, usually through contacting us via email, through a contact form or registering in a secure portion of the site (i.e., online registration forms).

Any personal information you provide is protected under Alberta’s Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. This means that, at the point of collection, you will be informed that your personal information is being collected, the purpose that you have a right to access the information.

Additional information can be found here at epsb.ca/privacy/

Get started with these simple steps:

1. Create a JustGiving account or log in to your existing JustGiving account.
2. Create a campaign page for the Reading for Life Read-A-Thon.
3. Set your fundraising goal if you plan to fundraise.
   While we suggest a minimum goal of $50 for those who wish to fundraise, please know
   that there is no obligation or requirement to fundraise.
4. In the story section of your page, share why you are supporting Edmonton Public Schools and the Foundation.
5. Set your personal reading goal.

As the Team Administrator -
After your personal JustGiving page has been created, select ‘Create a Team.’ Share the team name and URL with your team members so they can easily link to your page.

If you are not the Team Administrator -
After your personal JustGiving page has been created, select ‘Join a Team’. Search for the team name created by your team administrator and select ‘Join a Team’.

Yes! Donors can visit and contribute to as many pages as they’d like. For convenience, individuals who register with JustGiving can save payment methods in their own JustGiving account for future donations.

Send an email to foundation@epsb.ca with your question(s) and contact information. We will do our best to respond within 24 hours. Your fundraising success is a win-win for your team and the students you are supporting! We will get back to you as soon as we are able.

Yes. Blackbaud Merchant Services, our card processing service, makes every effort to protect your information. Blackbaud has been validated as a Level 1 service provider and payment gateway by the PCI Security Standards Council, having met the industry’s most stringent data security requirements. It is our priority, and that of Blackbaud Merchant Services, to make sure that your credit card information, passwords, and personal information are secure.

Blackbaud is a marketing infrastructure service provider offering advanced Internet fundraising solutions to charitable, educational, and political organizations.

As your donors make contributions, they can choose whether to make their donations public or  anonymous. If you do not see a name or comment, the donor may have opted to remain anonymous or to not leave a comment on your page.

Remember that your username and password are case sensitive. If you go to the Reading for Life homepage and click “log-in” you will find an option to have your username and/or password emailed to you. If you still have problems, please contact JustGiving here. It may take up to 24 hours to receive a response.

Blackbaud and the JustGiving fundraising platform make their software available for free to non-profit organizations everywhere. The software can be supplied for free because supporters like you add a tip to their transaction to cover software development and operational costs. We appreciate you tipping so that more donated funds can directly benefit the students who depend on the services made available through Edmonton Public Schools.

The Edmonton Public Schools Foundation gladly also accepts gifts by mail via cheque. Please make your cheque out to “The Edmonton Public Schools Foundation” and mail your contribution to:

The Edmonton Public Schools Foundation
Centre for Education, Main Floor
1 Kingsway NW
Edmonton AB T5H 4G9

Offline donations can be tracked using the Reading for Life Donation Tracker.