The following is being distributed at the request of The Rooms Corporation:
This morning, BMO presented The Rooms with a major donation of $500,000 over five years. BMO’s generous support will enable The Rooms to refresh our BMO Edukits to amplify stories that reflect all who call Newfoundland and Labrador home. Covering three distinct themes, each BMO Edukit is packed with a variety of interactive materials, lesson plans, and activity sheets designed to meet the curriculum goals, outcomes, and learning objectives for the applicable grade as outlined by NLSchools.
BMO was one of the first corporate supporters of The Rooms, contributing to its opening ceremonies in June 2005. Shortly after, BMO became its first corporate sponsor, establishing a long-term partnership for education and outreach with the creation of three highly popular travelling Edukit programs used in classrooms across the province.
Content for the first two kits was developed in 2007 and 2009, with content for the third and most recent kit being developed in 2016. These important teaching tools require updating to reflect the voices and experiences of our province’s growing communities. BMO’s support helps The Rooms upgrade these essential learning tools, improving engagement through more hands-on experiential learning. New stories will ensure that students see themselves reflected in the content, removing barriers and allowing them to fully participate in the cultural life of our province.
Quotes
“BMO’s continued partnership with The Rooms reflects our commitment to supporting cultural learning that celebrates and preserves the history of our province. By helping refresh the BMO Edukits, we’re proud to play a role in ensuring students in Newfoundland and Labrador have access to these materials and see themselves reflected in the stories they learn. These learning experiences are essential to building stronger communities where everyone feels seen, valued, and empowered to contribute.”
Dean Holloway
Regional Vice President, Personal Banking, Newfoundland and Labrador, BMO
“Together, The Rooms and BMO have reached hundreds of schools and thousands of students with our BMO Edukits, enhancing the educational experience in public schools across the province and enriching students’ understanding of Newfoundland and Labrador’s histories and cultures. Today’s major contribution cements this tradition of education and outreach, ensuring these essential teaching tools remain inclusive and relevant for the next generation.”
Anne Chafe,
CEO, The Rooms Corporation
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The Rooms
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BACKGROUNDER
FAST FACTS
- Edukits are teaching tools designed to engage students through hands-on experiential learning.
- They contain teacher resource material, artifacts, worksheets, period clothing, artworks, photos and more. Often more than one class per school uses the edukit throughout the duration of the loan.
- Hundreds of teachers and thousands of students across Newfoundland and Labrador have learned through edukits since they were introduced in 2007.
- In 2024-25 school year, 19 schools across Newfoundland and Labrador borrowed 26 different edkits reaching over 600 students.
The three BMO travelling edukits are:
- BMO Who Are You? Cultural Expressions Edukit. A cultural tickle trunk, bursting with reproduction artifacts, period clothes, artworks, photos, and more. Designed for Grades 6 and 8, this kit helps students understand cultural identity and what shapes it.
- BMO Uprooted: Resettlement in Newfoundland and Labrador Edukit. Designed for students in Grade 3 or in Grade 8 Social Studies, students are engaged in an investigation of the causes for and impacts of the government-sponsored resettlement programs that took place during the 1950s, 60s and 70s in our province.
- BMO First World War Edukit. Designed for students in Grades 6 to 8, students discover the role of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians in the First World War. Through reproduction artifacts and archival documents, activities and suggested discussion topics, students learn about the War experiences at home and overseas.
