905-764-7570 info@rscc.ca

RSCC Success and Future Challenges – Will You Help?

by | Dec 7, 2023 | Events, Friends, Waldorf Education | 0 comments

Entrance to the RSCC’s Thornhill campus, summer 2023

Rudolf Steiner College Canada is a charitable corporation dedicated to educating future generations of Waldorf teachers and making anthroposophy accessible to a wider public. We are able to continue our work thanks to generous donations from our community of supporters over the years. Like many other charities, the College makes a plea for donations towards the end of the calendar year. We invite you to read this year’s message below and add your voice to our community of support.

December 2023 Dear Friend, Rudolf Steiner College Canada is heading into challenging times. We face both exciting possibilities and existential risks. As we explore future possibilities, it is good to know that we have a community of supporters who have our back. We need you! Certainly there is lots of good news. We have excellent enrollment in both our Waldorf Teacher Education programs and Early Childhood Educator programs. We welcomed more than 150 people to our Summer Festival – all in person – and 142 participants – 98 in person, 44 on-line – to our recent Waldorf Development Conference. We have two dynamic Foundation Studies Encounter groups underway, one in Thornhill and one in Guelph. Our first online course, “Anthroposophy: An Introduction” continues to attract learners from around the world. We have completed the Private Career College application for the Biodynamic Farming Education program and eagerly await government approval to launch this new initiative. Our Star Seedlings Family and Childcare Centre in Guelph is operating successfully with 100 children on the waiting list. It has transitioned to the new government-supported funding model, substantially reducing the amount parents have to pay. We continue to enjoy the support of the VIDAR Foundation, whose tuition loan program makes our teacher education more accessible. We are very grateful for the continued support of the Cawthra Mulock Foundation which provides critical support for our core Waldorf programs. These achievements and many more, are due to the dedication of the college staff and volunteers. And so to the challenges. Our remarkable executive director, James Brian, has informed the board of directors that he will retire at the end of January 2024. This day had to come. The board of directors has accepted James’ retirement with as much grace as we can muster. Over the past six years, he has functioned as both executive director and program director, Waldorf Teacher Education. He has done a fantastic job. We look forward to celebrating his many achievements in the near future. James will stay on as director, Waldorf Teacher Education, until the summer, ensuring a smooth transition to a new director in this critical role. We are currently recruiting for a new executive director and a new program director (see www.rscc.ca/careers-at-rscc). Our future will depend on finding the right people for these essential roles. A greater challenge will be finding a new location for the college. Recently, we were informed that Toronto Waldorf School will not renew our lease. We must vacate the premises by the end of July, 2025. Finding an affordable, new location that meets our needs will not be an easy task. We are considering several options and will be in touch with you with more news. From a strictly financial perspective, a single donation of $1,000 is the same as a hundred donations of $10. Spiritually, it is not. Every gift comes with the intention of the giver. I ask those of you who can only make a smaller donation, to please do so this year. The college needs to be surrounded and buoyed up by the chorus of your support. Warmly, Robert McKay Chair, Board of Directors

If you would like to add your voice to the chorus of support for RSCC, you can make your donation in one of the following three ways:

• Call RSCC at 905-764-7570 and donate over the phone with a credit card
* Donate online through the Canada Helps form on the website
• Mail us a cheque to Rudolf Steiner College Canada, 9100 Bathurst St. #4, Thornhill, Ontario, L4J 8C7

Donate before Dec. 31st and get a donation receipt for the 2023 tax year.