McDonald’s Canada and 4-H Canada launch National Youth Scholarship program to help support the next generation of Canadian farmers
$80,000 in scholarship awards over two years will help 4-H youth leaders advance important work and educational pursuits in agriculture and sustainability
TORONTO, December 19, 2022 – Today, McDonald’s Canada and 4-H Canada are announcing the launch of the National Youth Scholarship program as a part of the next iteration of a longstanding relationship between the two organizations. As part of this partnership, sixteen scholarships totaling $80,000 will be awarded over two years to senior youth leaders from coast to coast to coast and will be aimed at advancing important work in sustainability and educational pursuits in agriculture.
“McDonald’s Canada wouldn’t be who we are today without Canadian farmers, ranchers and growers” said Gemma Pryor, Senior Director, Canada Impact Team, McDonald’s Canada. “McDonald’s World Famous Fries come from 100 per cent Canadian potatoes. Our menu is filled with iconic burgers made from 100 per cent Canadian beef. Your favourite McMuffin always comes with a freshly cracked Canada Grade A egg. And those are just a few examples. This new National Youth Scholarship program in partnership with 4-H Canada will help advance educational pursuits in agriculture across Canada and help support the next generation of Canadian farmers.”
4-H Canada is empowering youth to be responsible, caring and contributing leaders that affect positive change in the world around them. The Leadership Development Pillars of 4-H Canada -Sustainable Agriculture & Food Security, Science & Technology, the Environment & Healthy Living, Community Engagement & Communications – are all areas that are incredibly relevant and important to the current generation of youth, and which align with the concerns of Canada’s government, global community, and McDonald’s Canada.
“Through the generosity of McDonald’s Canada, we have an opportunity to empower youth leaders in achieving their educational goals,” said Shannon Benner, 4-H Canada CEO. “This partnership ensures youth are given meaningful support to pursue studies to build a sustainable future, and explore subject matter important to them as global citizens.”
McDonald’s Canada works with partners and suppliers who align with its values to help build a thriving, resilient food system, and sources ingredients like Canada Grade A eggs, potatoes, dairy, and beef from nearly 50,000 Canadian farms.*
The McDonald’s Canada and 4-H Canada National Youth Scholarships will be awarded in 2023 and 2024. During this time, the partnership will also see McDonald’s Canada joining the 4-H Canada Leadership Awards as a Supporting Sponsor.
The 4-H Canada website will be updated when scholarship applications open in 2023.
In 1967, Canada welcomed the first McDonald’s restaurant to Richmond, British Columbia. Today, McDonald’s Restaurants of Canada Limited has become part of the Canadian fabric, serving more than one million guests every day. In both franchised and corporate-owned restaurants, nearly 100,000 people are employed from coast to coast to coast, and more than 90 percent of McDonald’s 1,400 Canadian restaurants are locally owned and operated by independent franchisees. Of the almost $1 billion spent on food, more than 85 percent is purchased from suppliers in Canada. For more information on McDonald’s Canada, visit mcdonalds.ca.
For over 100 years, 4-H Canada has been one of the most highly respected positive youth development organizations in Canada. 4-H in Canada has over 16,000 members and more than 5,700 volunteer leaders. Our goal is to help young Canadians “Learn To Do By Doing” in a safe, inclusive and fun environment. We believe in nurturing responsible, caring and contributing youth leaders who are committed to positively impacting their communities across Canada and around the world. To learn more about 4-H Canada, please visit 4-h-canada.ca and follow our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages.
*Based on supplier and industry information; calculations done in 2022