Branksome Hall Raises $46.1 Million for Gender Gap Initiative
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Toronto, Sept. 21, 2026 /CourierPR/ -- Branksome Hall, a leading independent International Baccalaureate (IB) World School for girls, has raised $46.1 million to address persistent gender gaps in STEM, entrepreneurship, and the arts. The campaign, known as the Make Way Campaign, exceeded its original $30-million goal by more than $16 million, making it one of the largest fundraising campaigns undertaken by a girls’ school in Canada.
The campaign’s success is reflected in the opening of the Karen L. Jurjevich Innovation Centre & Studio Theatre (iCAST), a 36,000-plus-square-foot facility that brings together science, technology, engineering, entrepreneurship, design, media, and the performing arts in one hands-on learning environment. This is the first facility of its kind at a K, 12 school in Canada and one of only five in North America. The iCAST is designed to let students develop essential skills across STEM, the arts, entrepreneurship, and real-world problem-solving.
The investment comes as Canada faces a persistent gender gap in the digital economy. Women represent 48 per cent of the Canadian workforce but only 34.8 per cent of workers in the digital economy, and just 9 per cent of executive and senior management roles in the technology sector, according to the Information and Communications Technology Council.
The scale of the results of the Make Way Campaign reflects broad community participation. More than 2,000 donors made more than 7,600 gifts over the course of the campaign. Twelve gifts were $1 million or more, including two gifts of $5 million. However, campaign leaders say gifts at every level helped propel Make Way beyond its goal.
The campaign also invested in Financial Assistance, helping more students access a Branksome education, and in the Opportunity Fund, which supports emerging learning opportunities, co-curricular experiences, athletics, the arts, and campus priorities. Together, the three campaign pillars connect access with the kinds of interdisciplinary experiences students will need in a fast-changing world.