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"The Gala was magic.”

Richard Messina, principal of the Dr. Eric Jackman Institute of Child Study (JICS) encapsulated what was a transformative, tide-changing evening of laughter, passion and philanthropic giving. The May 13 Centennial Gala & Auction brought together families, alumni and friends to the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) to celebrate 100 years of innovation, education, and community at the JICS Lab School.

“It brought our entire village together,” added Messina, “alumni, current parents, friends, donors, teachers and staff. We didn’t just celebrate our past; we built relationships, created joy, and raised over $200,000 to deepen economic diversity at JICS."

With a lively auction lead by Stephen Ranger, recognized as one Canada's leading charitable auctioneers, the gala’s auction raised $202,000, which includes $53,000 coming from the pledge drive alone. It proved to be a night of spirited philanthropic giving.

"It was a night where community, purpose, and generosity came together. We doubled our fundraising goal and sparked transformational giving—all while having an unforgettable time,” said Sim Kapoor, director of OISE’s Office of Advancement, Communications, and External Relations.

“The pledge had a fresh energy that encouraged others to give within a trusting, engaged community.”

The proceeds from this gala will support the , ensuring that children from diverse economic backgrounds can access a JICS education—one that is grounded in research, play-based learning, and progressive pedagogy. The support will help the JICS Lab School continue to fulfill their public purpose and foster innovation, inclusion, and educational excellence for generations to come.

“On behalf of the University of Toronto, I extend my deepest appreciation to the parents and JICS community for making this event a remarkable success,” said Professor Erica N. Walker, Dean of OISE. “Thank you so much for navigating such an immense event, which successfully showcased our collective selflessness and generosity.

“The memory of that amazing gala will stay with me because we have a chance to change the educational opportunities for so many. The power of education will change lives.”

For the JICS Parents Committee, who helped shape the execution of this gala, this was a rewarding experience. “Seeing the incredible generosity at the gala was both humbling and inspiring,” said Samantha Molyneux, who co-chairs the committee with Ken Montague and Lucia Remedios. “Every donation, large or small, was a vote of confidence in the value of economic diversity at JICS.”

This generosity, says Molyneux, means that JICS is building a school community that reflects a broader range of perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences—something that enriches learning for every child. “Looking ahead, it sets a strong foundation for continued growth and inclusion. It shows that we’re not just talking about equity—we’re investing in it,” she said.

For Ken Montague, who is a prominent art collector, this particular event resonated with him – having this held in his world. “I felt that my contribution might be to organize the gala in the space that I've shown my personal collection – and where I felt that leading with art in terms of the environment for the gala would obviously be a motivating factor for having an art auction.”

And, for Montague, it is so much more. “It was very personal for our family, being a family of colour,” he said. “My partner is South Asian, I'm African Canadian and our kids definitely stand out as BIPOC kids. We really want them to feel that there are other kids that look like them [here].

“I took on the mission, really keeping that eye on the prize, hoping that there would be some families of means that would see the light and say, ‘Hey, you know, we give to hospitals, we give to the AGO, we give to the ROM; we should really give to this place that is enriching the lives of our kids.”

At the end of the day, Molyneux – a mother of two sons at JICS – wants the visiting audience to remember something crucial. 

“It was a reminder that when a community comes together with a shared vision, real and meaningful change is possible,” she says. “For JICS, this generosity means we can take real steps toward broadening access to the Lab School, while strengthening our ability to support research that reflects the diversity of the world around us.”

Every gift to the endowment fund is an investment in the future of an exemplary and transformative learning community and supports the JICS Lab School's public purpose. .