Write the next chapter of Dawson College with us and invest in the future

The whole world knows what happened at Dawson College on September 13, 2006. The young life of student Anastasia De Sousa was cut short, many other lives were changed forever and the community of Dawson College was traumatized.

I want to share a story that you may not know. It is an amazing story of resilience, hope and coming together. I want to tell you how we responded and moved forward.

More than 13 years have passed. I can clearly see the spirit of hope and determination that was born out of this tragedy manifested in many ways at Dawson College. The College has become a top-choice cegep for students from across Quebec and is well-positioned to continue offering innovative and transformational educational experiences.

The community of Dawson College decided together that our response would be the promotion of peace and well-being for all. We would work to advance peace on our campus, in our city and in our world. We would incorporate peace building into the culture we aim to transmit to our students.

Individuals, organizations and companies wanted to help us advance peace and other projects. We established the Dawson College Foundation in the Fall of 2006 as a way for people to rally around the college and help advance our special projects through a Foundation. Our students have always been at the heart of everything we seek to do at Dawson and they are the ultimate beneficiaries of the Foundation.

Here is a partial list of the response of Dawson College:

• Established the Dawson College Foundation (2006)
• Created the Ecological Peace Garden (2007)
• Began the Sustainability Project (2008)
• Inaugurated the Peace Centre (2014)
• Awarded over $200,000 in awards, bursaries and scholarships since 2006

Friends and partners of Dawson College, we can only continue writing this story of hope for the future with your assistance. We need your assistance through the Foundation to achieve our full potential.

Imagine Dawson College at its full potential:

• Offering more real-world projects to enhance learning and meet needs that go beyond what can be delivered through a classroom. For example: entrepreneurship projects, educational exchanges and trips, interdisciplinary experiences, skills-based clubs like coding , Model U.N. and S.P.A.C.E.
• Meeting the needs of students outside the classroom so they can continue and excel in their studies and complete their DEC or even pursue university education
• In the spirit of peace building, further development of our Living Campus so that all students and staff experience greater well-being and can be ambassadors for a sustainable future sharing their Dawson experience with their communities and work places.

Yes, Dawson has government funding to pursue our most basic mission. To do anything innovative, new, and beyond the set curriculum requires investments from friends and partners, especially for those in need. To share our knowledge in well-being for all and sustainability across Quebec and Canada, we need partners.

The pace of change is rapid and the needs of the job market are evolving. We cannot wait for programs to be revised, which can take years and even decades.

We need the support of our friends and partners today to equip our students the best we can for tomorrow.

With all my appreciation,

Richard Filion

Director General

Founding Director of the Dawson College Foundation