Education is the greatest gift—it opens doors and creates choices.
- Jean Marchand, founder of Kaleido
Since its inception, Kaleido has worked with families to make education accessible to all, so that every child can reach their full potential.
In 1964, motivated by a commitment to equal educational opportunity, Jean Marchand and a group of Laval University graduates set out to create a foundation that would allow parents to save collectively for their children’s education. Their initiative resulted in the founding of Kaleido, formerly known as the Universitas Foundation. It was an instant success in Quebec, proving that education is a top priority for families.
Kaleido’s story is closely tied to that of the Registered Education Savings Plan (RESP), which was introduced a few years later.
Guided by its commitment to expanding access to higher education in Quebec, Kaleido campaigns to convince the Quebec government to introduce a new measure that will make the path to higher education easier.
Our efforts pay off: the Quebec Education Savings Incentive (QESI) is established in 2007. This new provincial grant connected to RESPs demonstrates Kaleido’s positive impact on education policy and its commitment to empowering every child to succeed.
- Jean Marchand, founder of Kaleido
In 2002, a group of Kaleido executives founded Educaide, an organization dedicated to helping young people from underprivileged backgrounds stay in school. Its mission: to recognize them, encourage them, and equip them to achieve their goals.
Since then, Educaide has awarded more than $3 million in perseverance scholarships to over 3,000 students attending more than 350 participating schools.
Twenty years after the founding of Educaide, Jean Marchand was awarded the National Assembly Medal for his unwavering commitment to the academic success of Quebec’s children.
In 2017, Kaleido began a transformation that continues to this day. The relaxation of the eligibility criteria for Educational Assistance Payments (EAPs) made these savings more accessible to a greater number of young people, particularly for vocational and college studies. This development made it possible to help more recipients reach their full potential, regardless of the post-secondary path they choose.
Because planning for your children’s future should never be complicated, we are continuing to innovate to better adapt to your reality. In this spirit, we have made it possible to open an RESP with just a few clicks and manage your education savings entirely online.
For over 60 years, Kaleido has helped families access education savings more easily, giving every child a better chance to succeed. It’s that simple.
