About

The Backpack Program provides vital school supplies to children across Canada who begin the school year without the proper essentials. Annually Start2Finish, in cooperation with local school boards/schools, identifies children with the greatest socio-economic needs and equips them with the tools to help “even the playing field” and prepare them for a successful school year and beyond.

The Running & Reading (R&R) Club after-school program operates both in-person and online a total of 3x/week, and produces outcomes in 4 critical areas of children's well-being: Physical, School/Academic, Social-Emotional and Psychological. The program addresses the need for enhanced literacy, physical activity and mentorship among children experiencing poverty/deprivation in the communities it services. We have developed an enhanced Positive Education curriculum that strengthens children's mental health by helping them build social-emotional (SEL) competencies.

The virtual Brainworx! Learning Enhancement Program is an accessible, traumainformed online solution to addressing youth well-being. The S2F-developed Positive Education curriculum is focused on literacy, movement, social-emotional learning, growth mindset, mentorship and parent engagement. The program runs 2x/week through short 30-40 minute sessions (standalone or as part of the R&R Club), facilitated in virtual "pods" by security-checked/trained volunteer mentors.

The Junior Coach (JC) Leadership Development Program is designed for Start2Finish alumni and other youth who have successfully completed grade school. These youth, especially those from marginalized communities, face significant challenges during the difficult middle school "transition years" (grades 6-9), leading to higher dropout rates. The JC Program provides training and mentoring for these youth before the enter high school, as well as the opportunity to develop leadership skills and “give back” by volunteering as junior coaches in our other programs.

The goal of the Summer Adventure Program is to help bridge learning gaps and provide continued support to children struggling to catch up after COVID. The online program facilitates continued at-home learning and promotes physical activity in a fun and engaging way that keeps kids busy during the summer break and gives them something to look forward to. The 8 weeks of themed activities contain literacy, numeracy, SEL and fitness components that enable children to explore their natural environments (indoors/outdoors) and complete weekly challenges using items found around them.

The Daily 20 (D20) helps schools and students meet the federal and provincial governments' daily physical activity (DPA) guidelines. The fun, easy-to-use, culturally responsive online video program provides 20 minutes of daily physical activity (broken up into 5-minute "doses") to grade 1-8 students in classrooms, gyms, playgrounds and community centres. The program is administered 5 days/week, with no equipment needed, and features a variety of aerobic exercises demonstrated by Canadian children and athletes that highlight the importance of physical activity and movement. The D20 measurably improves fitness levels and helps strengthen academic results.

Thrive! was created for elementary educators who wish to incorporate Positive Education/social-emotional learning into their classrooms more easily and effectively to promote student mental health. The curriculum is classroom-embeddable and unintrusive. Thrive! was developed by a certified Positive Educator drawing on the tenets of well-being science including Positive Psychology, Positive Education, Neuroscience and Integrative Health. With our 20+ years of experience in areas of deprivation across Canada, our S2F resources specifically target issues of concern in communities of complexity, helping students not only survive but thrive, and empowering them to be their best selves today and beyond.

The Brainworx! Lunch Club runs once a week for 30 minutes during the school lunch break and is designed for students in grades 1-6 (split into two "clubs" for primary and junior students). The plug-and-play curriculum is fully created and provided by Start2Finish experts through a comprehensive program manual and supporting resources. Tutor/teacher training is also provided. The Brainworx! Lunch Club aids in educational recovery by helping students identify strengths, acquire capacities (selfawareness, creativity, self/relationship management, decision making, resilience, growth mindset, etc.), develop coping skills, become resilient learners, build belonging, set goals, track progress, and receive positive reinforcement.

The Literacy and Youth Foundational Training (LYFT) Program addresses the need for increased educational and social-emotional enrichment during the preadolescent ‘transition years’ (grades 4-6), especially coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic. The program, which runs weekly on Saturdays or after-school, provides a safe space for student growth and empowerment. Through movement, mentoring, literacy and teamwork activities, LYFT aids in educational recovery and support.