$1 Million Gift Announced for RCM Smart Start in Western Canada

At the RCM’s Season Gala with Renée Fleming on November 1, donor and RCM Board Director, Heather Edwards, announced a transformational $1 million gift to help bring RCM Smart Start to more families and communities across Western Canada. Her generosity marks an exciting new chapter for The Royal Conservatory’s innovative early childhood program. 

The celebration came on the heels of the RCM Smart Start Symposium: Music and the Mind on October 31, where nearly 500 educators, researchers, and early childhood practitioners gathered to explore how musical play nurtures children’s cognitive, emotional, and social development. Highlights included inspiring conversations with Renée Fleming, Raffi, Dr. Indre Viskontas, and others who shared their passion for the power of music in the earliest years. 

What began at the RCM’s Bloor Street West campus has evolved into a global program, now embraced by early learning centres across Canada, the U.S., and Mexico. This expansion has been made possible through the kindness and vision of our donors including Jim and Louise Temerty, David Thomson and Severine Nackers, as well as TELUS. 

The latest gift from Heather Edwards will help bring Smart Start’s research-informed, play-based curriculum to even more communities in Western Canada, ensuring countless young children can learn and grow through music. 

“Supporting Smart Start in Western Canada feels like an investment in the future of every child who walks into an early learning space. What moved me most was seeing how decades of research and creativity have come together in a program that is joyful, science-driven, and truly accessible. I am honoured to help expand this remarkable Canadian innovation so that more young families can experience the power of music in their child’s earliest years.” 

We invite you to explore the RCM Smart Start website at RCMsmartstart.org to find out more about this groundbreaking program.