The Naparima Alumni Association of Canada, (NAAC), Toronto Branch, is a twenty-two year old organization comprised of graduates of five High Schools, a Teachers Training College and a Theological College in Trinidad, all founded by Canadian Missionaries between 1894 and 1925. Its mandate is strictly to support educational and cultural programmes consistent with its constitutional objectives. These are:
- To unite all former members of the "Naparima Institutions" resident in Canada.
- To provide for social activities among its members.
- To provide an avenue for educational and cultural interaction with society at large.
- To be of assistance, where possible, to members of the Association and the Institutions from which the membership is drawn.
- To solicit, receive, acquire and hold donations, gifts, devices and bequests for the objects of the Association, in furtherance of the objects of the Association.
NAAC raises bingo funds and applies them in the following ways:
- To support annual bursaries awarded to students going on to post secondary studies.
- To support the purchase of High School student planners for disadvantaged students.
- To support the teaching of steelband programmes at West Humber Collegiate, Cedarbrae Collegiate and Pickering High School.
- To support awards to students for achievement in the steelband programmes.
- To support programmes that teach steelband playing to commmunity members from host schools.
- To support multicultural groups in their endeavour to share their cultural heritage with the Canadian population.
NAAC also supports scholarships at the University of Toronto designed to promote studies of the Indo Caribbean diaspora. It has also sponsored school exchanges between Toronto High Schools and Trinidad High Schools and imported cultural shows from the Caribbean to Toronto. It frequently donates in the names of deceased members to causes of their choice. It donates funds and books to the Toronto Public Library's Caribbean heritage collections. It has organized workshops and conferences on Education and immigration issues and publishes a Newsletter for its membership.
Funds raised from membership fees and social events are used for annual bursaries and library resources to the Alma Mater schools.
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