Our Partners

We Day is about inspiring a generation to act. It’s about enabling young people to lead the movement of our time.

We Day is a free educational event that is made possible by a community of committed sponsors, supporters and partners who share our belief in the power of youth and in the idealism that a better world is possible.

We Day is made possible through the generous support of a community of corporate partners and sponsors.

Inspiring youth to change the world: that’s our goal with We Day.

You can’t buy a ticket to We Day—you earn it through volunteerism and service. Last year alone, We Day inspired:

1.7 million hours of youth volunteerism
Youth to raise to $6 million for more than 550 local and international causes

Through the generosity of a community of sponsors, We Day events are made possible at no cost to schools, ensuring that We Day is a barrier-free, full-day educational experience.

What does sponsorship of We Day and programs looks like?

Our partnerships with the corporate community take many forms: programming support, donated services, fundraising or in-kind contributions. Free The Children’s corporate sponsors carry the costs required to make We Day possible. Moreover, literally thousands of dedicated corporate employees volunteer at We Day, every year. They serve as set-up crew, greeters, ushers, hosts, seating coordinators, talent hosts and so much more!

Our partnerships allow for diversified and stable sources of funding which ensure dynamic programming at no cost to students, educators and guests.

We have different types of partnerships, which include the following:

Corporate Partners
- Help keep We Day and other programs free for educators and youth
- Build our capacity through research, development and invest in new areas of programming
- Support logistics, in-kind and volunteer engagement to ensure efficiencies and keep administrative costs low
- Expand our reach in engaging more people and carry programming to new markets

Program Partners
- Provide us with access to content, talent and resources that enrich the content of We Day events
- Contribute expertise to our program delivery

Media Partners
- Help carry news from We Day and about social issues to communities across Canada
- Provide us with a variety of opportunities that range from editorial content to pro bono ad space

Educational Partners
- Educational partners are key to the success of the We Day movement. Free The Children is proud to partner with a number of school boards and districts for We Act, a program that expands the reach and impact of We Day more than ever before.

Our partners are helping us make We Day and our year-long engagement programs possible.

See Our Spotlight on Partners

More than a One-day Event

But We Day isn’t just a one-day event. Partnerships with corporate sponsors also help kick-start a year-long program, of which We Day is a part, that educators carry out in their classrooms to educate, engage and empower their students in active citizenship—a program that transforms youth behaviour and positively impacts school environments.

Impact of We Day

In the past few years, the reach and impact of We Day has grown exponentially. Corporate sponsors, foundations and funding partners (including provincial governments) have made it possible for Free The Children to bring this transformational event to students and teachers who then participate in the yearlong program that helps activate the inspiration from We Day to meaningful action. Thanks to the support of our generous sponsors, tens of thousands of students and teachers attend We Day free of charge.

The impact on youth who attend We Day is direct and meaningful. Research from a Mission Measurement 2010/2011 study shows that:

97%	are empowered to make a meaningful difference.
81%	feel passionate about a social justice issue.
61%	believe they can be a leader of social change.

Educators have also seen a positive transformation in student behaviour and engagement from We Day. A 2011/2012 Mission Measurement study of educators revealed that:

98%	say their students were inspired by We Day to take action immediately.
79%	agreed that their students learned a lot about social justice issues.
70%	found that We Day provided them with a renewed sense of inspiration for teaching.

Through partnerships with our corporate and government partners, many of whom extend their support beyond We Day, it has further been possible to award scholarships for young people to participate in transformative, life-changing leadership camps and volunteer trips. As a result of participation in these programs, 93% of young people intend to play a leadership role in social justice activities in their community.

As well, 85% of educators, in a recent We Day study, shared that they have developed relationships with students they would not have otherwise. The impacts of our sponsors go beyond merely providing financial support; our partnerships are facilitating transformation in young people around the world.

Learn More

Learn more about sponsorship and how we establish partnerships. Click here.

Sponsor a program or fund a project with Free The Children. Learn more here.

We Act

We Act, formerly We Schools in Action, inspires a generation to care about social issues and provides the practical tools to turn that inspiration into action. Learn more in our Impact Report.