Sam Duboc has spent a career building businesses and organizations. Yet when he looks back, one of the things he’s most proud of is helping to build Pathways to Education.
Duboc joined Pathways’ advisory board shortly after the Regent Park program opened, initially to help raise funds. He had served on the boards of other nonprofits, but there was something different about Pathways.
“I was struck by the potential of doing something that could create multiples of value,” he says, explaining that graduating from high school is known to improve opportunities for the next generation as well. “By helping one person, we could help ten down the road, and that was important to me.”
Pathways’ commitment to research also caught Duboc’s attention. From the beginning, the program tracked attendance and credit accumulation to identify students who were falling behind and needed support.
“You could tell just from the data if a student was on track or falling off track,” he says. “I hadn’t seen that anywhere else in the not-for-profit world.”
Believing the program could make a difference far beyond Regent Park, Duboc worked with the founders to develop a plan to bring the model to other communities. Together, they created Pathways to Education Canada to lead that work, and Duboc gave the new organization a home in his offices in downtown Toronto. As new program locations were established in one community after another, the Pathways Canada team expanded to support them, eventually needing a space of its own.
Duboc served as chair of the board for Pathways Canada and remained closely involved for years. During periods of organizational transition, he stepped in as acting CEO, borrowing time from his other work. His partners also generously lent their own financial and accounting expertise to Pathways.
Every summer, Duboc made it a point to attend as many Pathways graduations as he could. Talking with students and their families gave him a deeper understanding of the impact of the program.
“It was incredible. Just hearing about some of the challenges young people had overcome, but also how optimistic they were and how much they were looking forward to their future.”
In 2019, Duboc stepped away from the Pathways board of directors to make room for new leadership, confident the organization would continue to thrive.
As one of the founding community investment partners of Pathways to Education, RBC and RBC Foundation supported the original Pathways Regent Park program in 2002, helping to bring an ambitious community vision to life.
As Pathways grew and new program locations opened across the country, this relationship deepened. Over time, RBC and RBC Foundation have dedicated funding, resources, and the expertise of their staff to support the expansion of programming and the growing number of students we serve.
Today, our long-standing collaboration continues with a renewed $1,000,000 commitment to Pathways’ core programming. Through every stage of our journey, RBC and RBC Foundation have remained a steady collaborator in helping advance access to education and strengthening the supports that help enable student success.
Since 2011, Rio Tinto has played a pivotal role in the expansion of Pathways across Quebec, including the launch of Pathways Pointe-Saint-Charles and Pathways Shawinigan, now the largest Pathways Program in the province. It has also provided long-standing support for Pathways Mashteuiatsh, our only program located in a First Nation community, where students from the Pekuakamiulnuatsh First Nation access culturally affirming supports that strengthen their connection to community.
Deeply committed to supporting Indigenous youth in Quebec, Rio Tinto continues to provide focused support for Pathways Mashteuiatsh while also supporting relationship-building with Innu Takuaikan Uashat mak Mani-Utenam in the Sept-Îles region, as Pathways explores how best to respond to local priorities and opportunities.
With more than $21,000,000 contributed over the past 16 years, and a renewed commitment of $2,400,000 over the next three years, Rio Tinto continues to play a critical role in expanding opportunities for students across Quebec.
The Johnson Scholarship Foundation has been a key partner since 2014. Initially, funding was directed to support the Pathways National Scholarship Program, an integral part of the Pathways Program.
More recently, guided by a shared commitment to reconciliation and systemic change through college access, the Foundation has helped deepen our engagement with Indigenous students and expand access to resources and opportunities as they pursue their higher education goals.
Over the last eight years, Indigenous student enrolment in the Pathways Program has increased by 86 per cent, reflecting both expanded program reach and continued efforts to create culturally grounded, safe, and affirming spaces that foster trust and belonging. To date, the Johnson Scholarship Foundation has contributed a total of CAD $6,300,000, including a recent commitment of CAD $3,325,000, to support our important work with Indigenous students.
