Breaking Barriers: Expanding Student Access with Economically Inclusive Programs
by Grace Bueler, April 1st, 2026
As a longtime partner of Canada’s largest and most diverse school board, the Toronto District School Board (TDSB), we at Extra Ed run our operations and programs with every child in mind. The GTA is home to families from a variety of economic backgrounds, and with economically inclusive policies and powerful partnerships, we’re expanding access to our school clubs to more of our city’s schools, families, and students.
Our Economic Inclusivity Pay Policy
With a rising cost of living and more parents returning to in-office work the need for affordable extracurricular programming is climbing. It’s busy schools that do the heavy lifting when it comes to providing aftercare services, which is why our operations are seamlessly integrated into schools’ administrative systems: We also provide all equipment and materials needed, from sketchpads to guitars and even iPads (yes, we have a Minecraft club!).
But our commitment to serving our educational communities goes much further. Since our inception, we’ve given parents the option to pay less than the asking price, or even nothing, for our lunchtime and after school programs, and still have their children participate. This economically inclusive pay policy is no-questions-asked, and was designed so that all children can participate, regardless of a family’s economic circumstances.
More children than ever have been able to join our clubs using this policy. Between 2022 and 2025, over 14,000 participants paid a reduced price or nothing at all, a number that has grown sharply since the pandemic.
As more families turned to this policy to provide quality care, they were inspired to give back, making donations so that more children can participate and we can continue creating educational opportunities.
Attention in the News…
In March 2025, the Toronto Star published a story praising this pay structure, highlighting how it helps lower (or fluctuating) income families and why this was so important to Extra Ed’s founder and chairman, Yakos Spiliotopoulos.
“I’m happy to see an extra kid there with a parent that paid half price because they’re just feeling the pinch these days, like all of us are,” he told the Star. As Yakos’s own children began school, he recalls wanting to help many families in his community who struggled to provide their children with access to specialized activities.
…and Finance World
In the spring of 2025, CIBC stepped in. Now a partner of Extra Ed’s, CIBC Private Wealth has begun expanding Extra Ed’s reach by subsidizing program-running costs. This has made it possible to run clubs in schools and communities that otherwise could not have managed the cost.
Programs like chess, robotics, basketball, and financial literacy are at the forefront of this. Demand for chess classes for kids has skyrocketed and an interest in robotics can require expensive equipment (which we provide). One of Extra Ed’s most popular clubs, financial literacy, teaches young people how to reap the benefits of practicing healthy financial habits early on as they open bank accounts, land their first jobs, and save for post-secondary education.
“I think it is helping [students] think more about their financial situations,” a St. Alphonsus Catholic School teacher told us after we delivered our financial literacy program at the school in December of 2025. “It opens them up to a different way of thinking about money and to hopefully use it in a responsible way.”
Children’s Right to Opportunity
There are many studies showing how extracurriculars help children succeed. The University of British Columbia found in 2019 that playing team sports can lead to improved mental health of young people. That same year, they published a study connecting music extracurriculars to high academic achievement and sense of community.
It’s typically school teachers who witness these long-term effects, but children’s victories still shine through in our clubs: they navigate drag-and-drop coding, compromise with teammates, and practice emotional regulation. Benefits like these drive our inclusivity efforts, something we are not alone in.
In their 2015 report, “Inclusion: Creating School and Classroom Communities Where Everyone Belongs,” the TDSB references a host of studies on the benefits of inclusivity in its many forms, such as the Ministry of Education’s How does learning happen?, which states “All children benefit from being in inclusive environments where they are able to participate and collaborate in meaningful ways and form authentic, caring relationships.”
“I think it is helping students think more about their financial situations,” a St. Alphonsus Catholic School teacher told us after we delivered our financial literacy program at the school in December of 2025. “It opens them up to a different way of thinking about money and to hopefully use it in a responsible way.”
Quite notably, the TDSB also repeats their commitment to creating a sense of belonging for students and families, regardless of factors such as disability, race, or culture.
Like our educational partner, we believe in every child’s right to opportunities and benefits. Financial inclusivity is just one way we work towards including our city’s families and children.
The View from the Ground Floor
What does this all mean for kids in Extra Ed clubs? Across the city, more young people than ever are exploring new subjects and forming peer connections in play-based, secure environments. Our CIBC partnership has allowed us to run clubs with more assistants, allowing for the creation of more individualized learning experiences.
“We actually were one of the first schools that helped pilot this program,” another St. Alphonsus teacher stated about our financial literacy program. “I’ve seen it from the beginning to now, and it’s awesome. It’s amazing.”
“Economic inclusivity is a core part of who we are and how we do things,” states Spiliotopoulos. “Giving every kid an opportunity to participate—to have fun, to make friends, to follow their interests or discover a new one—these things are always top of mind when we run any program, anywhere.”
