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Our Story

Building a brighter future

At Loran, our mission is to find young people who approach challenges with curiosity, perseverance, and creativity; those who are humble, inquisitive, and thoughtful; those who shun the status quo in favour of unconventional paths; and those who will take action to build a better world while bringing others along with them.

We believe that Canada will thrive if we ensure that high-potential students are given the opportunity to imagine, explore, and create the future. With more than three decades of impact underway, Loran alumni continue to make meaningful contributions to their communities long after their university years.

Our journey

In the words of our founder, Dr. Robert Cluett, Loran was built on “the belief that breadth, openness to challenge, and willingness to take risk are many times more important than any quantitative measure of promise.” This is a conviction that the foundation still holds strongly over three decades later.

Since our origin in 1988, Loran has been a community project upheld by three pillars — donors, volunteers, and university partners — who share our collective vision and who are dedicated to lifelong service and leadership. Supported by this community for 35 years, Loran has identified, equipped, and empowered generations of values-driven students, investing in their long-term potential by providing them with the financial freedom to study, build their capacity to lead, and pursue service in their communities.

Our
commitment to
equity, diversity,
Inclusion, and
anti-racism:

Over the past three decades, Loran has undergone remarkable growth and transformation. As we’ve grown, our community of scholars and alumni has expanded to represent Canada’s many diverse cultures, backgrounds, languages, and geographies. Our ultimate goal is to empower young people, enabling them to fulfill their potential and build a stronger leadership ecosystem. To achieve this, we recognize the importance of understanding and addressing barriers and inequities that affect youth.

We are actively working towards establishing an accessible selections process and scholar program, as well as fostering an inclusive and equitable community. Our commitment lies in supporting scholars to become leaders who prioritize equity and possess a deep understanding of the historical and systemic impacts of racism. We aim to equip them with the skills to navigate difficult discussions that encompass a range of perspectives, build bridges across differences, and ensure no one is left behind.

In 2020, inspired by the leadership of Black and Indigenous scholars who shared their experiences and concerns, we formed the Loran Equity & Inclusivity Advisory Group (EAIG). This group comprises dedicated Loran volunteers and alumni who collaborated with us to develop a framework of beliefs, values, principles, and commitments. This framework guides our efforts to promote equity, diversity, inclusion, and anti-racism in our community. You can access the Loran Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Anti-Racism Framework and Action Plan to explore the outcomes of this work.

Together with the entire Loran community, we are dedicated to taking meaningful actions that support equity, inclusion, and resilience for youth in Canada.

“Loran has really benefited from the generosity of a great many Canadians, individuals who recognize that success as young people develop into adults is not simply based on a set of good marks at school.”

Alan Broadbent, Past Chair

“In 1988, when eight colleagues asked me to be first CEO of Loran, it took me only 10 seconds to decide to turn my back on a six-figure salary at York University to serve for 12 years in the founding of this great institution. Big risk, but meaningful, and not a minute’s regret. My years with the Loran Scholars Foundation were the best thing that ever happened to me—a truly luminous and life-making experience.”

Dr. Robert Cluett, Founder

“The Loran community has expanded and deepened over the years. Not only has our community of volunteers, donors, and institutional partners grown, but we now have more than 600 Loran alumni spread around the world—a diverse group of emerging leaders with a vested interest in the success of the “community project” called Loran. Our focus on identifying this next generation of engaged citizens keeps our sights ever set on the future.”

Meghan Moore (’98), CEO of Loran