Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aenean commodo ligula eget dolor. Aenean massa. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient montes, nascetur ridiculus mus.

Merry Go Round Children's Foundation

Merry Go Round Children's Foundation is a Toronto-based registered charity focused on getting kids “digitally connected”. We are a connected society, the Internet has fundamentally changed how we communicate and learn. Kids who are not connected find it much more difficult to keep up with their peers. Without home access to computers and the Internet kids fall behind in their technology literacy, their school work, and ultimately, their self-esteem. Compounding the situation are the negative influences within high-risk communities resulting in more limited opportunities for success.

The Foundation provides computers, programs and internet access to get students "digitally connected".

Foundation Mission

Our mission is to provide computers, Internet access and police mentoring to underprivileged students, enabling them to achieve excellence in their academic and personal pursuits.

By giving students the tools they need to get “connected” they can compete with their peers, and by encouraging dialogue about choices and opportunities, we hope to increase student self-esteem and confidence. We trust the students will know, like we do, that they can improve their own futures and realize their dreams.

Foundation History

• Founded by Scott Paterson and John McMahon in 1997 to help level the playing field by providing access to technology for families who could not afford it. With an intimate understanding of the differences technology can make in one's ability to get ahead in the millennium global arena, Merry Go Round Children's Foundation was founded, to help "turn on learning".
• Since 1997, the Foundation has supplied 900 computers to children in Peel Region and Toronto.
• In the first year of the program, 21 computers were distributed to financially disadvantaged families and relied heavily on relationships with Peel District School Board.
• In 1998, with relationships nurtured within the Toronto District School Board, 28 more computers were dispersed to the homes of underprivileged children in Regent Park. From this evolved a new mentor component of the program which relied heavily on close relationships with Toronto Police Service 51 Division.
• After a successful distribution of 49 home computer systems and Internet dial-ups, Merry Go Round was ready for a full scale launch of its community outreach program. Nurturing of business relationships resulted in Mr. Paterson's success in securing four founding partners to launch the program in 2001 - Rogers, IBM Canada, Microsoft and CDI College.
• In June 2001 Merry Go Round led the expansion to distribute computers to 100 families across inner-city Toronto. The addition of "e-buddies" addressed the observation that troubled children new to technology would benefit from mentor support.
• 2005 marked Merry Go Round's first annual "Go for it!" awards event which celebrated the outstanding commitment and contribution by the students and officers in the Program. Two students received "Paterson Scholarships" for $2,000 each for continuing education. Outstanding police officers were named "E-buddies of the Year" for their extraordinary commitment to Merry Go Round.
• 2008 marked the renaming of the year end celebration to “Inspiration” where all the Kids, Cops & Computer program participants come together to celebrate their first year graduation from the program.
• With 150 computers installed in 2009 our total computers installed since inception stands at 900.

Foundation Objective

1. Increase information and communication technology access and skills
2. Improve educational opportunities and outcomes
3. Improve social behavior
4. Increase self-efficacy and a sense of hope about the future

Through our Kids, Cops & Computers program, we try to take students beyond their communities – both online and in real-life – to encourage them to dream and to inspire learning both inside and outside the classroom.