Fraser Academy is grateful to announce a generous gift from Acuitas Therapeutics to support bursaries for students with dyslexia and language-based learning differences. The donation supports Fraser Academy’s efforts to provide greater access to those families who would not otherwise have the means to ensure their child benefit from the personalized and specialized instruction it uniquely provides.

“The Acuitas team is proud to support Fraser Academy and recognizes its important role in the community,” says Abi Coman-Walker, Acuitas’ Chief Operating Officer. “Students with dyslexia require the right educational environment to thrive. We hope our gift will open doors that might otherwise remain closed.”

In addition to financial support, Acuitas will offer hands-on learning experiences for Fraser Academy students, fostering their passion for STEM, encouraging real-world exploration in scientific fields, and inspiring the next generation of innovators.

“Philanthropic partnerships like this are essential to our ability to create increased accessibility for families to our program,” says Alison Wall, Head of School at Fraser Academy. “When we join forces with community leaders like Acuitas, we’re not just providing financial aid—we are breaking down barriers and empowering students to realize their potential. This gift will change lives in ways we can only begin to imagine.”

About Fraser Academy and Its Bursary Program

Fraser Academy delivers an individualized and therapeutic approach, using structured literacy, an evidence-based approach based on the science of reading, to teach reading and writing. Over 95% of graduates receive acceptances to post-secondary institutions in BC, Canada, and beyond.

Fraser Academy’s bursary program allocated nearly $500,000 to 41 students in the 2023/24 academic year alone. Acuitas’ gift will facilitate greater access to even more families, especially in light of the current economic climate.

To learn about how you can support the bursary program, please contact Kaela McDowell, Associate Director, Advancement, at kmcdowell@fraseracademy.ca.

About Dyslexia

Dyslexia affects up to 20% of the population and is the most common learning difference. Approximately 80% go undiagnosed. Students with dyslexia lack access to the appropriate educational support, leading to significant academic, social, and emotional challenges. As the awareness of dyslexia continues to grow, so does the demand for education that equips dyslexic students with the skills to be confident, resilient, and independent learners. 

About Acuitas Therapeutics Inc.

Vancouver-based Acuitas Therapeutics is the global leader in lipid nanoparticle (LNP) technology and partners with pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, as well as non-governmental organizations and academic institutes, to advance nucleic acid therapeutics into clinical development and commercialization. Acuitas’ LNP technology is clinically validated, enabling Alnylam Pharmaceuticals’ ONPATTRO® for the treatment of people with a rare genetic and otherwise fatal disorder known as transthyretin amyloidosis and the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, COMIRNATY®, which has protected billions of people in over 180 countries. Acuitas has also helped to enable the first human proof-of-concept for genome base editing to treat a serious genetic disease. The company is currently focused on further innovations to its LNP carriers to advance the development of novel gene therapies, such as epigenetic medicines, to modulate gene expression without genetic editing to treat a range of diseases, including cancer. In addition, Acuitas works on identification of potent new lipids to enable partners to develop improved and new vaccines to prevent a range of infectious diseases (i.e., malaria, HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis), multivalent vaccines, and novel therapeutic vaccines against cancer, including personalized cancer vaccines.