Wendy McKee was a parent at Hopedale Community School. She was a passionate, caring volunteer who embodied the cooperative philosophy.
Upon her sudden passing in 1989, the school established a bursary fund in her name as a tribute. The Association for Preschool Education was asked to assume the administration of the fund in 1999 and make it available to all our member schools and their families.

Purpose

This fund is open to all families who are currently enrolled or hoping to attend a member school and may be faced with an undue or unexpected financial hardship. An application to the bursary may be made by a member school in conjunction with an applicant family in hopes of providing a consistent preschool experience for a child. We are also cognizant of the incredible financial burden placed on families with special needs children and the lack of funding they receive for support workers in the classroom. Therefore, we accept applications from these families to help with the shortfall that can occur when paying for classroom support.

Why donate?

In order to provide families with financial support to continue their child's preschool education, the Wendy McKee Bursary fund relies primarily on donations from (The Association's) 28 participating schools. We do welcome both corporate and personal donations and as we are a charitable organization, we provide tax receipts for such. It is our personal guarantee that every dollar donated to the fund is used to assist families in maintaining their child's preschool education. The greatest reward from donating is the knowledge that a child in your community has benefitted directly.

How to Apply?

In the spirit of co-operation, we ask that applications for funding are made jointly by the affiliated member school and applicant familliy. A brief letter/ e-mail outlining the situation; what the school is able to assist with and what, if anything, the family is able to contribute, along with the amount of funds requested is required. Please be assured that any and all applications are kept absolutly confidential and in the strictest confidence. Should you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact (The Associations') President at any time.

Conclusion

As (The Association) is commited to assisting our schools in providing quality early childhood education, it is a natural derivative of this passion that we believe every child is deserving of such an experience. We are very proud to administer this bursary and consequently make a difference in the lives of several children a year.