For most students, juggling studies and employment is hard enough. For those with family responsibilities, the balancing act becomes significantly more challenging. 

Student parents must navigate a number of obstacles: irregular schedules, finding accessible childcare and affordable housing, underemployment, navigating healthcare for their dependents, and financial instability.

This can leave some student parents feeling isolated.

Since 2009 the Concordia University Student Parents Centre (CUSP) has welcomed student parents, giving them a place to network and connect with peers, giving and receiving support and increasing their chances of academic success and graduation.

CUSP is dedicated to offering support and services in a variety of ways:

• a safe, accessible and child-friendly space to gather, study and share, including a lounge with study stations, computers and internet access and a kitchenette for food preparation
• life skills workshops, including referrals for resources such as childcare, financial aid and housing
• bi-weekly study breaks, where staff and volunteers care for children while parents study
• monthly cook-outs, sharing healthy and cost-effective recipes while teaching cooking skills to student parents and their children
• free clothing, toy and goods exchange, recycling articles in good condition and helping Concordia to reach its sustainability goals
• English and French conversation groups for adults
• homework tutoring for school-aged children

Your donation will help keep the centre open from 10am to 6pm during the week, and additional hours on the weekend. When giving to the centre you help keep the facility open and as accessible as possible, bolster ongoing programs and help students shoulder their parental responsibilities.

Whenever possible and appropriate, the centre also helps to provide back to school supplies for students' children and improved food security through the breakfast club.

Learn more about CUSP programming at their website.