Hundreds Attracted to CPAC Education Day 2012

TORONTO, October 27, 2012 –The Chinese Professionals Association ofCanada (CPAC) and the Education Foundation of CPAC held the 5th CPAC Education Day at Mary Ward Catholic Secondary School in Scarborough today.With more than 40 educational institutions participatingand 16info-packed seminars, the event attracted hundreds of students and their family members from the immigrant community in the GTA.

The theme of this year’s Education Day is ‘Better Education,Brighter Future.’As one of the largest education events in Toronto’s immigrant community,CPAC Education Day is aimed at providing information about the Canadian education system and its available services for newcomers and their family members.“Education is a life-long journey.We hope to provide more education information to participants through this annual event and help them succeed in the North American education environment,”said Dr. Hugh Zhao, President of the Education Foundation of CPAC, in his welcome address at the opening ceremony.

One of the highlights of the event was the keynote presentation. This year’s keynote speakerwas Jason Qu, a second year student at Harvard Law School. The topic of his presentation was “What’s Your Vision? Character,Creativity and Citizenship for Academic Success.”Jason pointed out that good grades and hard work alone are no longer sufficient to succeed in schools or in the workplace. He stressed the importance of character, creativity, and good citizenship in the academic context, and explored strategies to help students develop and demonstrate these qualities as part of their academic experience.Growing up in Toronto and closely connected with CPAC, Jason’s proud to be part of the CPAC family.

Representatives from school boards, colleges, universities and other institutionspresented their programs through display boothsand were on-site to answer questions.For the First time in five years, more than 40 educational institutions, including the University of Toronto, Queen’sUniversity, York University, the University of Waterloo, the University of Ontario Institute of Technology, Concordia University, George Brown College, Centennial College, Seneca College andthe Toronto Catholic District School Board, etc participated in the program .

“It’s a great opportunity for studentsto learn what the program requirements are and how to apply foruniversity and get a sense of different student experiences thatcan be expected at universities,” said Mrs. Lee, a parent and participant, “It’s also a good chance for parents like us to learn a lot about Canadian education system and communication skills with kids. It’s a real education day for the whole family.”

A continuation of the tradition in the pastyear’s Education Daywas anall-day student forum hosted by the Youth Division of CPAC.Representatives from prestigious universities and colleges across Ontario attended the forum and shared their experience on postsecondary education and helpedparticipants by tacklingthe difficult question of “What’s right for me?” They brought the attendance a new perspectiveon post-secondary institutions in the province.

HSBC Bank Canada has beenthe Education Day’s presenting sponsor for fiveconsecutive years. Mr. David Kuo, Head of Ontario Branch Network, HSBC Bank Canada,presented a cheque of CAD$25,000 to CPAC Education Foundation during the opening ceremony of the event. “HSBC Bank Canada is proud to support organizations like CPAC in their efforts to help students and immigrant families in Ontario through educational programs.” Mr. Kuo said.

CPAC also appreciates the support from its Silver SponsorsGeorge Brown CollegeandCMA Ontario, and its co-organizer,Toronto Education Research Association.

About the Education Foundation of CPAC

Founded in 1999, the Education Foundation of the Chinese Professionals Association of Canada (CPAC) is a registered charitable organization that provides scholarships and awards to secondary and post-secondary students who have demonstrated exceptional community leadership as well as outstanding academic achievements. The Foundation also provides assistance to students who have maintained above-average grades and are experiencing financial difficulty.