05-02-2025
Youth support organization expands education program with help from government funding
Over 100 young people will receive their high school diploma through St. John's-based youth support organization Thrive this year.
Newfoundland and Labrador's Department of Education announced $200,000 in funding for Thrive to deliver the Canadian Adult Education Credential test and other programs.
The money allows the organization to hire another teacher and serve 25 to 30 more youths between 12 and 18 years old.
"That wouldn't take into account the additional teaching spaces or what we're doing outside the metro area, which is really fantastic because we have always had a waitlist," said Thrive executive director Angela Crockwell on Wednesday.
The province's funding should eliminate that waitlist.
"We're always bouncing between, like, 15 to 30 young people. So we're really optimistic that once we have the new teaching staff in place, we'll be able to eliminate that waitlist immediately," Crockwell said.
Further, starting in the 2025-26 fiscal year, the province will provide $175,000 annually to support Thrive's operational cost, including outreach outside the northeast Avalon Peninsula region.
Crockwell said the organization's education program changes lives.
"Young people who thought post-secondary is never going to be for me, I can't land a full-time job, all of a sudden, the realization is, 'No, I just need to find the right fit. I am really smart. I can do this,'" she said.
Education Minister Krista Lynn Howell views the funding as an investment opportunity.
"By supporting our aspiring youth, we are supporting the future of Newfoundland and Labrador."
Thrive has operated its education program for more than 15 years. The Department of Education says that has resulted in more than 1,000 young people improving their educational outcomes and pursuing post-secondary education and employment.
