Dr. Dorothy Young Donor Spotlight

For more than 44 years, Dr. Dorothy Young has directed her charity to countless University of Winnipeg initiatives over the decades, though she often chooses to give to the area of greatest need or the general scholarship and general bursary funds.

“I believe in giving and making a difference one person at a time.” says Young. “When I was a teacher, it was one student at a time, when I was a Principal, it was one teacher at a time, and as a donor it’s one donation at a time.”

A devoted educator with more than 40 years of experience in the St. James-Assiniboia school division, Dorothy has worked at 10 different schools throughout Winnipeg as a teacher, Vice-Principal or Principal. She spent the last ten years of her career as an Assistant Superintendent.

 “While some of the schools I’ve taught at have since closed their doors, I’m incredibly proud to have been a part of their history.” says Young. “During my time at Hedges Junior High, I piloted the 7-Up Program, which helped children who had been held back improve their English, science, and mathematics skills needed to advance to the next grade. I’ve also had the pleasure of serving as President of the St. James-Assiniboia Teachers’ Association and as President of The Manitoba Teachers’ Society during my career.”

For many of Manitoba’s young educators working in classrooms across the province, the day often starts with welcoming your students and outlining what you’ll be tackling that day. After a couple hours of teaching, students will then head over to band, gym, or art classes taught by a different teacher who has specialized training in that role.

Prior to the multi-instructor approach to elementary education, teachers, teachers were responsible for educating students in every area covered by the curriculum. It was during this period that Dr. Dorothy Young began her teaching career. Starting at Transcona’s Central School in 1966, Dorothy taught a class of 32 children each subject from the moment they stepped into the classroom until their parents arrived to pick them up—all before she received her undergraduate degree from the University of Winnipeg in 1975.

“There was something special about staying with your class all day. I always told my students that we were a family, and that to get along during the semester, we’d have to work together.” says Dorothy. “I was often able to trade my responsibilities for gym class with one of the other teachers, but beyond that I stuck with those 32 students every day from September all the way to the end of June.”

Intent on furthering her skills as an educator even in retirement, Dorothy enrolled at the University of Manitoba and in 2011 completed her doctorate in Educational Administration.

“After serving as a Principal at several schools, I was keen to learn more about the training these individuals received and how administrators could better serve in their role as leaders.” says Young. “I wrote my thesis on the preparation and development of Principals and Vice-Principals in Manitoba, and I collected a great deal of my data by surveying people acting in those roles across the province.”

As a volunteer, Dorothy has entrenched herself in the UWinnipeg community, serving as a member of the Alumni Association, the Board of Regents, and most recently as a member of the Senate.

“I greatly enjoyed the education I received at UWinnipeg during my undergraduate degree, and the skill of my professors is something I have come to appreciate even more over the years as an educator myself.” says Young. “This university has always treated students as individuals—not numbers—and I’m proud to say that our campus has always been an inviting and worldly space, not an insular one.”

As a longtime volunteer and donor, Young believes in the importance of contributing to places that played a role in shaping who you have become.

“I think donors should support their alma mater in different ways. If you prefer to donate, that’s important as a means of helping students reach the finish line on graduation day, but you can also volunteer and get involved as a community member,” says Young . “Go to the next Wesmen game, become part of the alumni council, or work to become part of the Senate or Board of Regents. Your input as an alumni, donor, or student is a valuable part of what makes this institution so amazing.”