Welcome to Thumb Switch for Life!
Thumb Switch for Life Foundation was established on September 25, 2017 by Dwayne and Jacqueline Peace. They wanted a way to enhance the lives of Canadian youth. The foundation has two arms; one is to provide scholarships to students for post-secondary education and the second is to support youth programs in schools.
Thumb Switch is a term used to illustrate how awkward, uncomfortable or different change can be. This is a reference to what people will experience when they identify some of their negative habits or opinions and make a decision to change them into more neutral or positive ones.
Here’s an exercise, place your hands together interlocking your fingers between each other, noticing which thumb is on top. Research has shown that if you were asked to do this on 10 separate occasions you would do it the same way. This represents a habit. Such as always putting on your pants the same way, your shoes, the way you say please and thank you.
These are good habits and we need to keep them. However, we also need to look at our bad habits such as the language we use, the way we treat people, tobacco, drugs, alcohol, or any addiction pertaining to the digital world.
Continuing with the exercise, open up your fingers and realign all of them up one and place the other thumb on top. Most people will identify that it feels as described above, awkward, uncomfortable or different. This is called change. There is nothing wrong with doing it either way but when you change it up, it doesn’t feel right.
The foundations focus is to cause people to change those negative perspectives or understandings and make the switch to an alternative, neutral or positive view, thereby making a thumb switch. Thus the name of the foundation, Thumb Switch for Life.
Thank You, Gift Funds Canada 2019 – $10,000
The Scholarships:
Throughout Dwayne’s career as a professional speaker to children and youth, he has encountered young people who are living in unhealthy home environments, such as domestic abuse, poverty, drugs and alcohol, or are in foster care, living independently and much more.
Yet, despite these adverse conditions, the students have maintained above average to excellent grades, have goals, made changes and have stayed out of trouble. Many of these youth would benefit from some financial help in pursuing their secondary and post-secondary dreams.
Youth Program Support:
The founders have realized over time that many schools cannot afford to host educational programs for their students due to budget restraints. Thumb Switch for Life wants to provide those schools that are qualified donees, the financial support to enhance the lives of students through life changing programs. The focus is on programs that explore and create understanding of the issues young people face today; provide tools or steps to deal with those issues. The program must explore respect for self and each other by getting to know people’s stories. Create compassion and empathy for individuals despite who or what they represent. There must be a focus on mental wellness for students, staff and the outlying community. Lastly, a program that causes participants to make a “thumb switch” in their ways that make a difference in their lives and of those around them.