Free resource · For schools & communities
A toolkit for funding conversations
For a classroom, youth group, family meeting, drop-in session or one-to-one conversation. Use it to help students and families take a clear first step on education funding.
Begin with attention, not answers
Make space for the student’s goals, lived experience, questions and preferred support before introducing a list of programs.
Check before you share. Funding rules, eligibility, amounts and deadlines change. Confirm current details with the official source before sharing them or making a decision.
Facilitation notes
- Start with the student’s question. Ask what they hope to understand or do next. Their question should shape the conversation.
- Make room for context. Invite students to name the community, family, cultural, accessibility, work, care or financial realities that affect their options.
- Separate facts from hunches. When something is uncertain, write it down as a question to verify rather than a promise.
- End with one next step. Opening an official page, asking a trusted person or noting a deadline keeps the conversation going.
A 35-minute conversation plan
Adjust the pace for your group. The prompts are invitations, not a test, and anyone can pass.
- 5 minWelcome and name the purposeSay: “Today is about making the next question clearer. You do not need a finished plan to take part.”
- 7 minGather starting pointsAsk: “What are you curious about after high school, and what part feels hardest to figure out right now?”
- 8 minMap the support around the studentInvite people to name one trusted person, school contact, community organization or official source they could consult.
- 10 minRead one opportunity togetherChoose one official listing and look for eligibility, required documents, amount, deadline and how to ask a follow-up question.
- 5 minChoose and record one next stepAsk each participant to write one action, who can help, and when they will check the official source again.
Prompts for a warm referral
- What would make this next step feel more manageable, and who could help with that?
- Would you like to speak with a school counsellor, Indigenous student services, a community organization or the funder directly?
- What should we write down before the referral so you do not have to retell everything?
- What is the safest and most comfortable way for someone to follow up with you?