Centennial College receives gift of $1.4 million from guard.me International Insurance™

TORONTO, March 22, 2016 /CNW/ - guard.me International Insurance has donated $1.4 million to Centennial College, a major gift that will enhance Centennial's international endowment fund and support overseas student initiatives. 

As a longtime supporter of Centennial College, guard.me International Insurance has an established history not only as a partner providing student insurance, but also as an endowment donor since 2013. This new gift will continue to increase the endowment and offer new support to Centennial's Global Experience Office (GEO) and Global Citizenship & Equity Learning Experiences (GCELE) initiatives.

Both programs typically take place outside of Canada and give students a unique opportunity to advance their academic, personal and professional goals. While GEO participants are able to earn academic credits by studying and applying curriculum from their area of study, GCELE participants become global citizens by volunteering on humanitarian projects.

"We admire the tremendous work Centennial College is doing in the field of international education and encouraging students to expand their academic and personal learning goals," said guard.me President and founder, Keith Segal. "The GEO and GCELE programs have pioneered groundbreaking initiatives and promoted inclusivity, communications and cross-cultural partnerships that benefit international and domestic students. We are thrilled to support the program!"

The generous gift from guard.me International Insurance will enable even more students to become socially conscious global citizens and will equip them with key skills and competencies sought by employers in an increasingly globalized society.

"We are committed to providing distinctive learning experiences that enrich students' lives and expose them to new possibilities," stated Ann Buller, President and CEO of Centennial College. "This generous gift from our friend and supporter, guard.me International Insurance, will enable us to provide more new and exciting comprehensive global learning experiences to students."

Lack of funds and financial support is most commonly cited as the reason why students do not seek out international experiences. Over the past five years Centennial has sent close to 500 participants on 50 global learning experiences. The college offsets many of the international travel costs, thanks in part to donations by partner organizations such as guard.me International Insurance. Centennial's goal is to increase the number to 600 students by 2017.

The guard.me International Insurance gift supports the IMPACT Campaign, Centennial's most comprehensive fundraising campaign in its 50-year history. 

For more information about the campaign, visit the website at www.centennialcollege.ca/impact

SOURCE Centennial College

Media contact: Mark Toljagic, Communications Officer, Centennial College, 416-289-5000, ext. 7142/[email protected]