Prince George school PACs get grant funding boost

Over 1,300 school parent advisory councils (PAC) and district parent advisory councils (DPAC) around the province are receiving funds from Community Gaming Grants.

This includes 31 PACs and DPACs around Prince George.

"Learning, fun and growth also takes place outside the regular school curriculum, and parent advisory councils are key partners in keeping students and their families engaged and connected to those opportunities for enrichment," said Anne Kang, Minister of Municipal Affairs, in a news release.

"Community Gaming Grants to PACs and DPACs help fund everything from robotics and photography clubs to playground equipment and chess competitions, strengthening students' lives and building on their school experience."

More than $11 million in Community Gaming Grants is helping PACs and DPACs during the 2022-23 school year.

Each year, schools in the province receive funding through PACs for extracurricular activities that benefit students' well-being and through DPACs for activities that foster parental involvement in schools.

With assistance from Community Gaming Grants, PACs use funding to support a range of activities, such as field trips in B.C., performances, movie nights, school dances and conferences, as well as buying sports equipment.

DPACs can use funding for the cost of informational and promotional materials for parents, meeting room rentals, presenter fees and travel for meetings.

The $11 million for this year’s PAC and DPAC grants is part of the $140 million in Gaming Grants distributed annually to approximately 5,000 not-for-profit organizations that deliver services and make life better for people throughout the province.