At Mount Royal University, donors like you make exceptional and accessible education possible — removing barriers and ensuring every student has the chance to learn, lead, and give back to our communities.

From teachers to nurses to pilots, MRU’s diverse programs guide students on a journey that defines the future in Calgary and beyond. 

About MRU

MRU is an undergraduate university known for providing an exceptional learning experience through smaller class sizes and extensive work-integrated learning opportunities for students. Our programs provide opportunities for students to pursue careers in business, science and technology, health, education, humanities, music, psychology, and more.  

We’re focused on providing real-world opportunities that give students the practical experience they need to succeed, and your support can make all the difference. By giving to MRU, you can support students in a field you’re passionate about, all while giving back to our Calgary community. 

Please explore three opportunities below to see how investing in students at MRU allows you to support the causes and people you care about, today and in the future. These opportunities are a mere sampling of areas where your support can make a helpful difference to students, and by extension, our community.

MRU Reads

Reading is fundamental for success in school and in life; sadly, many elementary school students have difficulty learning the foundational skills. MRU is tackling the issue head-on by partnering with local elementary schools through our MRU Reads After Hours Reading Clinic. 

MRU Reads is a tutoring program designed for Mount Royal University Bachelor of Education students to give them additional opportunities to gain real-world teaching experience. At the same time, it provides struggling elementary school readers with the support they need to master foundational literacy skills. 

By partnering with local schools where many families face financial barriers that prevent them from seeking outside support, MRU Reads is able to give back to Calgarians while helping university students prepare for their futures as teachers and community leaders.

With your support, we will: 

• Provide tutoring support to more children who are struggling to read. More tutoring means more learning, more literacy, and more of the lifelong benefits of reading.  
• Allow more Bachelor of Education students to participate in our After Hours Reading Clinics. There is a double impact in terms of enabling more children to participate, and helping Bachelor of Education students grow their skills for careers as teachers.
• Reach more equity-deserving communities where financial factors are a barrier to participation for many families.
• A $10,000 gift would enable us to expand our program and reach two-times as many struggling young readers.

Learn more → 

The ArtsCare Hub

Since 1911, Mount Royal University Conservatory has built a reputation as the most trusted provider of music and speech arts education in Calgary. More than a century later, it is exploring how music and speech arts programs can address health care priorities, while reducing healthcare costs across Alberta.

By establishing a centralized Hub for innovative music and speech arts programs, training, and research that enhances individual and community well-being while contributing to reducing healthcare costs across the province.

The Hub is dedicated to advancing our collective understanding of how music and speech arts engagement addresses vital health priorities, from early childhood development and mental health to healthy aging and broader health system evolution. As the only entity within Canada combining these three strands of activity, the Hub establishes the Conservatory as a preeminent leader in the field, driving systemic advancement through dedicated knowledge mobilization, first-in-Canada professional development offerings, and community-rooted research that supports lifelong health and wellbeing.

With your support, we will:

• Develop new courses to address the physical and mental health and wellness of special groups, including children with autism or new mothers coping with postpartum depression.  
• Work with community arts organizations to better understand how arts engagement can support health and well being through the lifespan.

Centre for Health & Innovation in Aging

With a focus on innovation, research, education and community engagement, MRU’s Centre for Health and Innovation in Aging (CHIA) strives to shape a future where aging is not only a natural part of life but also a period of vitality and fulfillment. 

As Alberta’s demographic landscape shifts towards an older population, the need for innovative solutions to support the health and well-being of older adults becomes increasingly pressing. MRU is taking the lead in generating new knowledge about healthy aging, translating those findings into practice and collaborating with community members to implement new innovations. 

With your support, we will:

• Position MRU as a national hub for Agetech education & evaluation while helping MRU students graduate with ‘work-ready’ skills and industry connections. 
• Provide opportunities for older adults to contribute as partners in education & research.

Learn more →

For further information on any of the above projects or to learn more about Mount Royal University programs and community impact, please reach out to us.

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