For more than 30 years, Woodbine Entertainment has supported students at Humber Polytechnic by contributing to initiatives including Humber’s Youth Transition Program and its signature Golf Classic, which supports scholarships, bursaries and emergency funds for students.  

Now they’re continuing their commitment to education and community engagement through a pledge of $100,000 - the largest gift from Woodbine to Humber to date - to help broaden gender representation in two traditionally male-dominated industries: broadcasting and security.

Woodbine Entertainment is establishing four new $5,000 scholarships to recognize and support self-identifying female students demonstrating leadership, passion, and aptitude in either Broadcasting or Police Foundations programs. Over the next five years, Woodbine Entertainment will be supporting a total of 20 women.  

“This partnership between Woodbine Entertainment and Humber Polytechnic strengthens our shared dedication to fostering diversity and creating pathways for brilliant future leaders,” said Ann Marie Vaughan, president and CEO, Humber Polytechnic. “By providing access to high-quality education and opportunities to strengthen their employability, Humber is committed to empowering students and supporting them to achieve their academic and career goals.”

Building on this shared vision, the partnership between Humber Polytechnic and Woodbine Entertainment opens doors to quality education and creates a more equitable learning environment. By addressing financial barriers, students are given the opportunity to fully engage in their studies and pursue their career aspirations without limitations.

“Education has the power to change lives at the individual and community level,” says Nivedita Lane, associate dean, Faculty of Social & Community Services. “Easing the financial impact allows for students to better focus on attaining their academic and career goals and can provide equity of access for students to focus on experiences and opportunities that they may not have been able to consider otherwise due to financial constraints.”

The Woodbine Entertainment Security Leadership Scholarship will be awarded to a student in their final year of the Police Foundations program. This scholarship is specifically designed to recognize students who self-identify as female and who have shown a passion, aptitude and leadership in their coursework. The scholarship aims to support students who aspire to make a difference in their communities through leadership roles in policing and security.

The Woodbine Entertainment Broadcasting Leadership Scholarship will be awarded to a student in their final year of the Broadcast Television/Videography program. The award criteria is aimed at students who self-identify as female who have demonstrated excellence in their studies and leadership in the program.

Both scholarships will launch in the 2025 winter term.  

“The long-standing relationship between Humber Polytechnic and Woodbine Entertainment is one we are extremely proud of,” says Kimberley Medeiros, director of Community, Government Relations, Woodbine Entertainment. “The historical collaborations between the various Faculties at Humber and the real-work experience available at Woodbine make for a synergistic relationship we hope to continue long into the future.”

Woodbine Entertainment has been a steadfast supporter of Humber since 1991. Their $100,000 gift brings their total donations to Humber to $407,500 -- a testament to the longstanding relationship between the two organizations and their shared commitment to fostering ongoing education and leadership.

Humber continues to foster partnerships with community partners that positively impact students on their post-secondary journey.

As part of Building Brilliance: Our Vision to 2030 and Beyond, we are shedding the traditional constraints of higher education and reimagining a model that both adapts to and shapes the world around us. By making bold decisions around how we fundamentally operate, we can reimagine learning, forge deeper partnerships and drive impact, creating real value and progress. This story is an example of how we are building brilliance every day.