2022

"I have just attended a Deloitte mentorship zoom (Power of Mentoring with Deloitte | Impact Day 2022) event using my new laptop and have gotten good feedback and insight from fellow Deloitte employees, managers and HR managers who were all present at the event. I was able to succeed with the laptop provided. Although I do have a computer, it is situated in the middle of the bedroom with bad camera placement and is not always suitable for business or professional setting. Than

Amex commits $1 million in grants over three years to two nonprofit organizations to help back equal futures for underrepresented communities and help them thrive. American Express is thrilled to announce it has committed $1 million CAD in grants over three years to the Pinball Clemons Foundation and Pathways to Education to back underrepresented students in communities in Canada. These initiatives, funded through American Express’ Backing Equal Futures community giving pilla

"My experience at the You(th) Lead Conference was eye-opening. It served as a powerful reminder of the importance to make the most of every opportunity given to me and not taking them for granted. I am grateful for the speakers who were honest, and authentic when talking about their journey's to success. Thank you Pinball Clemons Foundation and all the inspiring Mentors!" *The student's image was changed to protect the identity of our youth.

Written By: Paul VanderGriendt, Event Management Coordinator Mentorship Session Diary. Entry 09 Life isn’t complete without challenges and setbacks. How we approach these situations and how we are able to learn and grow from our experiences can define us as individuals. A growth mindset is something we can use to set ourselves up for success and allow us to seize opportunities. A growth mindset means that we are open minded about the perspectives of others. It means that we p

Written By: Paul VanderGriendt, Event Management Coordinator Mentorship Session Diary. Entry 08 Integration into the workforce will inevitably come with its challenges and obstacles. Every workplace has its own culture and leadership style, but that does not always mean it is good. A toxic work environment or poor leader can be demotivating and stressful, while building the confidence and resilience to overcome barriers at work takes time and effort. We all want to find succe

The youth we support are often those who have fallen off life’s path or slipped through the cracks of society. The Margins to Mainstream program help youth rediscover their authentic self from within. We encourage youth to align themselves to their values and goals and live life authentically and not waiver in the face of mediocrity and conformity. Good luck to our student Lyondre as he climbs his way up the ladder of success. We wish him the best in his academic journey!

Please join us in welcoming our newest intern and Marketing Coordinator, Trixia Espulgar to the Pinball Clemons Foundation family. Trix is a young professional from the Philippines pursuing a career in the marketing industry. In 2020, she graduated from one of the top universities in her country, De La Salle University. To add, she interned for McCann Worldgroup and was awarded the best thesis award. Following this, she decided to step out of her comfort zone and moved to T

Check out the latest updates on You(th) Lead Conference, Graduation Season, Youth Literacy, Mentorship Update, Addressing the Social Determinants of Learning and more...

When you join the Mainstream Bursary program, you're joining a team, a community, and a family! From the staff to the mentors to the students, we all play a part in #changingthenarrative for this community. Good luck to our teammate Zebadiah, as he continues to work towards completing his degree in computer science. Don't be surprised when your kids are playing a game designed by Zebadiah in the future!

PCF helps provide that stability to every aspect of their life, to help give marginalized youth the direction they so desperately need. 💙📚 “We want to give young people the resources to control their lives, revel in independence, and change the trajectory of their families for generations.” - Michael "Pinball" Clemons

We recognize that youth that struggle with challenges carry them into their adult life. Our support continues through their career journey, as challenges do not stop after postsecondary. Our goal is to stay in contact with the youth until they are stable. Our career mentors are accelerators with an integrated social impact strategy. Their primary aim is to remove barriers from marginalized groups and drive outcomes leading to sustainable employment across Canada.

Written By: Paul VanderGriendt, Event Management Coordinator Mentorship Session Diary. Entry 07 Every One Voice One Team session starts with to a song to set the mood and get people live. I don’t care who you are, you’ve never seen a zoom meeting like this. Positivity is off the charts. Energy is off the charts. You can feel it in your bones. Orlando Bowen always says, “if you want to go fast go alone, if you want to go far go together.” The sessions are all about community,

"Some people think they are in community, but they are only in proximity. True community requires commitment and openness. It is a willingness to extend yourself to encounter and know the other." - David Spangler Community outreach is a huge part of our Foundation. It's an essential tool for us to understand the needs of the programs we support and the youth we support. Last week, we spent time with a few of our charitable partners and the youth we support. It was indeed Chri

Check out the latest update of donor dollars at work.

On Saturday, June 4th, 2022, we hosted our inaugural You(th) Lead Conference at Hotel X Toronto. This special event brought together guest speakers, influencers, and over 70 executives to empower future leaders. PCF is not just a Foundation, we are a community, working together to bring the youth from the Margins to the Mainstream. “In a tremendous setting, it was with hope and intention that PCF designed a day fostering community, connection, and career, for marginalized yo

Written By: Paul VanderGriendt, Event Management Coordinator Mentorship Session Diary. Entry 06 (March 19th) Money can be a tricky topic with varying opinions across the board. At the same time, financial literacy is important for youth trying to navigate their environment and progress in their careers. Firstly, we should start by looking at our mindset about money. We can set up roadblocks for ourselves just by having misconceptions or misguided feelings about having or mak

Written By: Paul VanderGriendt, Event Management Coordinator Mentorship Session Diary. Entry 05 (March 5th) We are entering a phase as a community where we are beginning to get back out into the world. We have been “stuck” with a digital connection. But at the same time, we were not stuck at all. Virtual spaces gave us so many opportunities to meet new people, expand our network and create new connections. As people, we always have tools at our disposal to move ourselves for

Written By: Paul VanderGriendt, Event Management Coordinator Mentorship Session Diary. Entry 04 (February 19th) Self-awareness is a tool we can all use when faced with reacting to new situations and challenges. Are you a logical or emotional thinker? Do you respond to structure and loyalty or to adventure and change? Knowing who you are and what you stand for will help build your confidence as you move forward in life. Being comfortable with yourself, and not critical of you

Written By: Paul VanderGriendt, Event Management Coordinator Mentorship Session Diary. Entry 04 (February 5th) The power of “team” can be incredible. What we can accomplish together, goes beyond what we would ever be able to do alone. Psychological safety is something that great teams always have. It means being comfortable with the people around you. Being able to share, trust, be understanding and support one another is how we make everyone around us stronger. Building the

Written By: Paul VanderGriendt, Event Management Coordinator Mentorship Session Diary. Entry 02 (January 22nd) How are you feeling… and why? We need to check in with ourselves, as it is for us to check in with the others. Being honest with yourself and with others is how we create accountability. We all need help sometimes, and we need someone we can rely on. Creating accountability with others is how we can build an environment where everyone feels like someone has their bac