When an opportunity arose for Jane Lewitt of the Lewitt Family Foundation to give back to her daughter Ellen’s school, Jane knew exactly what she wanted to support. With gifted children across the country unable to afford the education experiences they deserve, she is making it possible for deserving students to experience the same sense of wonder and community her daughter found in Environment’s Knowledge Integration (KI) program.
“Ellen has always just loved learning. She’s always wanted to discover new things but she never wanted to go down just one academic route,” says Jane, who helped establish the Lewitt Family Foundation Scholarships for students entering KI, sponsor the 2020 KI Exhibition teams, and fund the Knowledge Integration Experiential fund to help support an activity which will enhance their learning experience such as an international exchange, an entrepreneurial venture, or other worthy project.
KI draws students who could excel at engineering, science or history, but are attracted by the broader education the degree offers. “It’s designed to give them breadth of knowledge across the disciplines, and a specialization in something they’re passionate about,” says Rob Gorbet, director of KI. “Learning in KI is a balance of knowing and doing. Across the curriculum and in every core course, there’s theory and there’s applied, and the doing is often in groups.”
KI and the Lewitt Family Foundation were a natural fit. The organization was founded by Wilf Lewitt in 1999. Wilf was a visionary who believed strongly in educating oneself to the fullest and in the concept of lifelong learning.
Though Wilf passed away in 2010, his family has kept the foundation bearing his name alive. Their generous donations include support for Regent Park School of Music and Artscape Daniels Launchpad. The largest grant given so far was the creation of The Wilfred G. Lewitt Chair in Pancreatic Cancer Research at The Princess Margaret Hospital, which was the first, and only, chair in Canada dedicated to find a cure for pancreatic cancer.
“When Ellen discovered the Knowledge Integration program, it was like a light went on behind her eyes,” says Jane. “She didn’t want just one pathway for learning. KI allowed her to keep all of her options open.”
One of the highlights of Ellen’s time in KI was a trip to Germany for the Berlin Museum Field Trip. The field trip kicks off the Museum Course, where Knowledge Integration students practise interdisciplinary collaboration and design by creating original, working museum exhibits.
Joining Ellen were Jane and Ellen’s grandmother Anne Lewitt. All three generations of women came together to celebrate the culmination of Ellen’s hard work and inspiration in KI.
“What I found incredible about the KI program was the sense of comradery the students all shared,” says Jane. “I would hate for a child to be denied that same experience of pure joy.”
Learn more about the Lewitt Family Foundation at the website.
