District Scholarships $1250!

District Scholarships (AKA District Authority Awards) 

District Authority Awards are an opportunity to showcase your talents in Elective Courses, Technical Trades and Training or Voluntary Community Service. A 100 hr. project and presentation is required. Graduating students who qualify in one of the scholarship areas may compete within the school district for $1250 offered by the Provincial Awards Program. If you win a $1250 voucher from the Ministry of Education will be applied toward tuition at a designated post-secondary institution.

You must be a …

• Full time student, minimum of 20 credits completed in Grade 12 by Aug. 31 of 2020.

• Canadian citizen or permanent resident as of Sept 30, 2019.

• You must be able to provide a Canadian Social Insurance Number (SIN) before June to be award eligible.

• See your Counsellor if you have any questions.

What are the District Authority Award Project/Program Areas?

100 Hour Projects with a required display or presentation are offered in the following categories:

1. Fine Arts:   (Music, Drama, Dance, Art, Photography, Digital Music, Creative Writing)

2. Applied Skills: (Business, Hair Design, Textiles, Culinary, Carpentry, Automotive, Drafting, Film/Video Design Communications, Animation and Modeling, Horsemanship)

3. Physical Activity:  (i.e. Designing a swimming lesson program for younger students, carrying out lessons and documenting progress; Designing and instructing a workout routine for a sports team.)

4. International Languages: (demonstrating proficiency in a language that is not native to you)

5.Voluntary Community Service: 100 hrs. of voluntary community service (school and community)

6.Technical Trades and Training: SD34 Career Programs (CTC Programs): (Applied Business Technology, Carpentry-Green Construction, Architectural Drafting, Electrical, Animation Arts, Horticulture, Welding, Professional Cook, Heavy Equipment Operator, Hair Stylist, Automotive Service Technician.)

7. Indigenous Languages and Culture: Demonstrated at school or in the community.

What do you have to do?

• Complete a project design and description and begin a project to demonstrate your talent and expertise in this particular category. Projects will be presented and adjudicated in April. You are required to spend a minimum of 100 hours on your project but in reality, most students spend many more hours than this. You may use some class time to work on your project but only 40% of your project can count toward a letter grade in a course or program. The majority of the project must be done outside of class. A rule of thumb would be 6 out of 10 hours or 60% of total time logged.

When can you start?

•The earliest you can start is July 1 of your graduating year.

How are you scored and what is required to qualify as a scholarship-eligible candidate?

•The bulk of your score is based on your project adjudication on District Scholarship presentation day in April. A minimum project score of 60% is required to be eligible for scholarship. Candidates must also meet graduation requirements by Aug. 31 in order to receive the Ministry of Education.

•Where applicants exceed the number of awards available, the best 5 courses (including a Language Arts 12) taken in the graduating year will be included in the calculation to make up 25% of a candidate’s final score.

When and where are projects presented and adjudicated?

• Projects will be presented at Abbotsford Senior Secondary and the Abbotsford Arts Center on TBA.

• Fine Arts presentations require tech. rehearsal times. Attending rehearsal is mandatory. Participants who miss assigned tech rehearsal times will not have their projects adjudicated. Tentatively, tech rehearsals will be scheduled the morning, afternoon and evening before presentation day as facility availability permits. Participants must be available for their appointed times.

• Writing projects (plays/scripts and creative writing) must be submitted by March 30th. (see further conditions below)

• Community Service projects will be adjudicated to a panel of adjudicators. Each student will have 10 minutes to present their community service project. Presentation appointments will be arranged and announced in advance.

•Technical Trades and Training Projects: A100 Hr. project and presentation is required in one of the TTT areas identified above.

How do I get my project to the presentation site?

•You are responsible for project transportation, set-up and removal. More information will be provided closer to the presentation date.

What if my plans change and I choose to defer my graduation to the following year?

• Course work and graduation requirements must be completed by June of your graduating year. Students who defer graduation to the next year will not be eligible for an award. This is specified in Ministry Award guidelines.

How are scholarships decided and what happens if I deemed eligible?

•The adjudicated project score (60% minimum) will qualify you for a scholarship pending completion of graduation program requirements. (Before Aug. 30). After the School District submits the list of qualified candidates in early September, the Ministry of Education sends notification letters to eligible scholarship winners. A $1250 voucher redeemable at an accredited post-secondary institution will follow in November. A list of approved post-secondary institutions and further information is available at www.bced.gov.bc.ca/awards. Or here http://www.aved.gov.bc.ca/find_an_institution/welcome.htm

Dance, Drama, Creative Writing, Voluntary Community Service and Textiles.

 Applicants please note the additional conditions and guidelines outlined below.

Dance: (10 minute performance)                                 

Must include at least one piece of original choreography created solely by the applicant in order to satisfy project and adjudication criteria. Participants must perform in person before adjudicators. Video performances will not be considered or adjudicated.

Drama: (20 minutes max.)                          

Students must declare in advance one area of adjudication and be specific about what their performance(s) will entail. The adjudication categories are: Directing, Scriptwriting or Acting. All scripts for all performances must be provided to adjudicators by April 1. Scriptwriters and Directors are expected to know how to format a script and provide director’s stage and technical notes. Applicants are encouraged to reference scriptwriting and directing websites for further information. Scripts are to be submitted by April 1. A required tech. rehearsal will be scheduled prior to the performance date of April 22.

Creative Writing:                          

Creative writing submissions are to be limited to a maximum of 30 pages regardless of writing genre. Adjudicators will not read beyond 30 pages. Short stories and Novellas are encouraged within the guidelines. The District Committee reserves the right to limit and to screen the number of applicants. Writers are reminded that this is an original work with no more than 40% of school time invested in the project. A minimum of 60% (60 Hrs.) of this project must be personal time outside of scheduled class time related to this project category. Completed works must be submitted two weeks in advance of presentation dates. Works not submitted by will not be adjudicated. Writing pieces ( 3 copies) are to be submitted by to the Abbotsford School Board Office by 3:30 pm March 30th.

Voluntary Community Service (Voluntary Activity)

Voluntary Community Service projects will require a minimum of 100 service hours and a project presentation. 60 hrs. should be devoted to a designed service activity outlined in your project description. Additional service to school and community (up to 40 hrs) may be used to meet the 100 Hour service requirement.  Print or digital media may be used in project development and presentation. The presentation of your work to adjudicators is as important as the voluntary service itself. Voluntary service hours must be documented and verified by a reliable authority. Only 40% of the voluntary community service hours may be used when associated with school courses like tutoring, mentoring, community service special needs program T.A.'s or mandatory service hour projects initiated to meet Grad Program requirements. Adjudicators will be looking for unique, purposeful, intentionally designed voluntary service initiatives either created by or led by the district scholarship applicant. A need for the voluntary service, the benefits to the community as a result, and the number of people benefitting should be communicated during the project presentation.

Textiles and Clothing Design

Participants in this area must have at least one senior level (Gr. 11/12) course in this subject/project area and be competent sewers. Senior level course experience as well as instruction by a qualified clothing/sewing specialist is a requirement.

Culinary

While not mandatory, it is recommended that participants in this category have some sr. course work in food preparation, the culinary arts or professional cook training. Having Food Safe level 1 certification would also be a consideration. Committee Members reserve the right to screen out applicants who may have an interest in developing a project in this category, but have little or no experience in planning a menu and a multicourse meal of scholarship quality. Past adjudicators have included at least one Red Seal Chef on the 3-member adjudication panel and standards are rigorous. Banquet presentation and adjudication must be completed by May 6, 2016.   

See Mrs. Chand in the Counselling Centre for application and more details.