At a time when there were no student loans and few scholarships, Evelyn was able to attend the University of Toronto thanks to the generosity of strangers. That educational opportunity changed her life and opened the door to a lengthy career as an educator and social worker.
Evelyn had a strong desire to give back some of that generosity of strangers by establishing the Evelyn Koski Crown Ward Assistance Award at Cambrian College. With the establishment of this generous award, Evelyn is opening doors for young people with no other place to turn – beyond her lifetime.
About Evelyn:
Evelyn spent a lifetime dedicated to the teaching and protection of Ontario’s children and youth. From teaching in a one-room school in Oxford County, she went on to teach primary school in Woodstock, secondary school in the Greater Toronto area, and later at the Northern Ontario Institute of Technology in Kirkland Lake and Laurentian University. Evelyn also served as a social worker with the Children’s Aid Societies in Toronto, Sudbury-Manitoulin, and Kawartha-Haliburton. While in Sudbury, Evelyn was elected to the Sudbury Board of Education where she introduced a policy to report child abuse and neglect, and implemented mandatory training for all Board employees.
During her life, Evelyn made a legacy gift to Cambrian College – where her husband Dr. John Koski served as Founding President – to sustain the award into the future.. With the establishment of this award, Evelyn was able to support two of her passions – education and young people in need.
Evelyn sadly passed away in April, 2015 at the age of 92, and is deeply missed by her family and friends.
In Evelyn’s words – “Please help make a difference in the lives of young people who are in need of our support. Become a generous stranger, and DONATE TODAY.”
Our Voice Our Turn:
“The Youth Leaving Care Hearings at Queens Park resulted in an enormous achievement by youth in and from care. Initiatives such as the Evelyn Koski Crown Ward Assistance Award means that our voices have created change and will enable students from care to beat the odds and have better educational outcomes. This scholarship means that there are people listening. It shows how one person can make a difference in the life of a youth in care. Our Voice Our Turn thanks you, Evelyn.” -Youth Team, Office of the Provincial Advocate for Children and Youth
Irwin Elman, Provincial Advocate for Children and Youth
“We firmly believe that the children we bring into care of the province are the responsibility of all of us. If they don’t fare well when they leave our homes who will? Evelyn Koski has provided an important opportunity to change the life of a young person in and from care through the establishment of a scholarship. She set the bar for all of us in the province and has demonstrated that we can all take the time to recognize the province’s children in care and do what we can to ensure their futures are bright.” -Irwin Elman, Provincial Advocate for Children and Youth