VANCOUVER – New Democrat MLA Shane Simpson is welcoming $130,400 in Community Gaming Grant funding to parent advisory councils to benefit students in Vancouver-Hastings.

“All kids deserve the chance to participate in extracurricular activities, regardless of family income,” said Shane Simpson, MLA for Vancouver-Hastings. “I’m proud to be part of a government that continues to invest in students and is making life more affordable for British Columbians.”

Schools receive PAC funding each year to provide students from kindergarten to Grade 12 with a variety of extracurricular experiences including field trips, sports and playground equipment, music, and writing and debate competitions. MLA Simpson said this year 17 school PACs in Vancouver-Hastings are receiving Gaming Grant funding.

Simpson said the New Democrat government believes that no child should be denied opportunities because their family can’t afford it, and that programs like the Community Gaming Grants and the new Playground Equipment Program help level the playing field.

Quick Facts:

• The Community Gaming Grants Branch provides funding to parent advisory councils (PACs) and district parent advisory councils (DPACs) to support the enhancement of extracurricular opportunities for K-12 students in British Columbia.
• For the 2019-2020 school year, more than 1,300 PACs and DPACs throughout B.C. are receiving approximately $11 million in Community Gaming Grant funding. Community Gaming Grants provide up to $140 million to about 5,000 not-for-profit organizations throughout British Columbia each year.
• Funding amounts for PACs are currently set at a rate of $20 per student. The total grant amount is based on student enrollment as of the start of the previous school year. The grant funding amount for DPACs is currently set at $2,500 per year.

Learn more: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2019MAH0158-002059