<div>**This fundraiser is being managed by a parent**
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<div>Hi!
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<div>We are Nicole and Mia, high school students at the University of Toronto Schools (UTS), and <strong>we need your help to fix a real problem</strong>!
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<div>When we are about to graduate high school, most of us have lots of choices and resources to help us choose what to do next. Our schools, guidance counselors and parents provide us with lots of information and often help us choose between career options and whether/where to pursue post-secondary education. We have all the resources and the information we need.
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<div>Now imagine that your child is leaving high school with absolutely no idea what options they have and almost no resources to help them.
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<div>That is the reality that most individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDDs) across Canada face.
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<div><strong>You can help us to change that! </strong>
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<div>Why should you care?
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<div>According to Statistics Canada 2017, the unemployment rate for people with intellectual disabilities is above 75%. Over 70% of individuals with intellectual disabilities live in poverty, and they represent 13-15% of Toronto’s shelter system inhabitants. This often leads to mental health issues and many other life-long impacts. However, this can be avoided with early intervention and better resources!
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<div>Our own story begins with the “Best Buddies” club at our school. “Best Buddies” is a program that pairs UTS students with students challenged by intellectual or developmental disabilities at the nearby Heydon Park school. This program has allowed us to create friendships with people who have vastly different life experiences and has allowed us to learn from and support each other.
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<div>We have found that Best Buddies has been one of the most eye-opening and rewarding experiences of our (admittedly young) lives. Being a part of Best Buddies made us wonder what our friends, and other individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities across Canada, will do after high school. What we discovered shocked and saddened us.
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<div>We conducted extensive research online and interviewed professionals who work in this field <span style="font-size:1.0625rem;">as well as individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. We discovered that while there are very few opportunities for these individuals, finding and connecting to those opportunities is very difficult for teachers and students alike. Our research confirmed that there is a desperate unmet need for a single website that can serve as a nationwide resource that is easy to navigate where all this curated information can be found.</span>
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<div>So we are determined to create one! We decided to create <strong>future4U </strong>to meet this desperate need. We also participated in the UTS Timeraiser program (a startup program) and in an entrepreneurial competition where we won $1000 as well as time with mentors to get us started towards our goal.  
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<div>The goal of our organization is to provide individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities with a website where they can go to learn about the opportunities that are available to them. This would include all kinds of post-secondary options, including post-secondary education, life skills programs, day programs, workforce opportunities with different employers, and other resources.
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<div>Here is a timeline of our goals:
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<div><strong><br />May: </strong>
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<ul>
<li>Fundraising through GoFundMe
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<li>Identifying and connecting with other schools/organizations
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<li>Developing our pilot website with a local (Toronto) focus to work through development issues and get more input from stakeholders
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<div><strong>June:</strong>
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<li>Take care of legal obligations. This includes registering future4U as a charity, with an arm’s length board of directors and arranging for a lawyer, and accountant…(<em>pro bono</em> if possible)
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<li>Test the functionality of our website with UTS Best Buddies’ partner school, Heydon Park
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<li>Ensure our site can be easily navigated by all prospective users
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<div><strong>July + August: </strong>
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<li>Refine our website with the feedback that we were given.
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<li>Expand geographic range to Ontario
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<li>Find program partners to peer with
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<div><strong>September onwards: </strong>
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<li>Continue to expand our website with added resources and locations
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<li>We will also pursue future goals such as creating a forum on our website to promote a sense of community
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<li>Allow professionals such as guidance counselors and teachers to create blog posts on the website
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<li>Continuously improve our website based on user feedback
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<div>Over time, we hope to establish relationships with foundations to support our ongoing work and derive funding from partnerships with prospective employers. But right now, we need your help to launch this initiative because, as high school students, we do not yet have the means to source funds.
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<div>We’re looking to raise $5,500 to get the program off the ground. Here is a breakdown of our projected costs:
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<ul>
<li>$2500 Website pilot development
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<li>$1000 Research
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<li>$2000 Administration and set-up fees
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</ul>
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<div>You can help! Please join us to help make a <strong>life-changing</strong> difference in the lives of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
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Kate Taylor

Matthew McInnis

Glen Campbell

John Gould

Anonymous

Doug Sarjeant

Ian Bradley

Cresencia Fong

Tina Li

Kayla and Lauren

Jeffrey Singer

Fund the future of those with IDDs (disabilities)

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