origins

In 2000, Start2Finish was born out of the vision of founder and social entrepreneur Brian Warren; that the effects of the cycle of child poverty could be broken in Canada by providing ongoing educational support to Canada’s at risk children throughout their school years, nurturing mind, body and social health so they would be empowered to graduate and succeed.

Brian grew up in an upper-middle class family in Phoenix, Arizona; his dad worked for NASA and his mom stayed at home to raise him and his two siblings, and then later went to work as a Special Ed teacher. He saw poverty, but not up-close, and he really had no idea what growing up in poverty was like. After graduating from high school, he received a football scholarship to the University of Arizona and went on to play in the pros for 10 years. Encouraged by his mom to give back, he taught at her high school for a couple of off-seasons. It was in those classrooms that he really saw the devastating impact poverty has on how kids learn.

Who We Are

Our mission is to break the cycle of child poverty by providing ongoing educational support to Canada’s at-risk children throughout their school years, nurturing mind, body and social health so they are empowered to succeed and become role models for change.  We are not a "drive-by" program, but we take children facing poverty/deprivation from start to finish on their journey to success through our Pathway of Hope.

What We Do

The Pathway begins with the Backpack Program that distributes backpacks filled with vital school supplies, moves on to the Running & Reading Club after-school program that provides fitness, literacy and mentorship opportunities for elementary-aged children and the Daily 20 fitness program that meets the province's Daily Physical Activity (DPA) guidelines for schools, continues through the middle school and high school transition years with the Junior Coach Leadership Development Program, and then launches youth into their futures through the Pathway of Hope Scholarship Program. Since its inception 20 years ago, Start2Finish has equipped over 100,000 children with vital opportunities and skills to help them create a cycle of success.

The Research

Research surrounding our programs are conducted by our Scientific Advisory Group. Below are links to different results. Earlier studies were focused on the connection between activity and academic achievement while our latest study (2019) focused on our program and wellbeing. 

 
 

Contact us

For media inquiries (including region specific information) please reach out to us!

For general inquiries, please refer to our contact page.

 

Land Acknowledgement

We would like to acknowledge the land on which we work, and which Start2Finish operates, is part of the Treaty Lands and Territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit. For thousands of years, Indigenous peoples inhabited and cared for this land. In particular, we acknowledge the territory of the Anishinabek, Huron-Wendat, Haudenosaunee and Ojibway/Chippewa peoples; the land that is home to the Metis; and most recently, the territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation who are direct descendants of the Mississaugas of the Credit. We are grateful to have the opportunity to work on this land, and by doing so, give our respect to its first inhabitants.

We welcome you to acknowledge the land you are on https://www.whose.land/fr/

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