Three youth in the care of the Society have received awards that will assist them in achieving their post-secondary education goals. The Clark Bursary Fund was established in 1989 through a generous donation by Ron and Nancy Clark of Caledonia. It was created to assist youth in care and former wards of a CAS achieve their academic and career goals.
The Clark Bursary Award is provided to students attending post-secondary education who receive $3,500 per year for up to four years. Upon completion of their studies, Clark Bursary recipients are eligible to receive the Clark Graduation award — a monetary gift of $1,000.
Caitlyn was presented with a Clark Bursary Award at the OACAS Consultation and Youth Awards Ceremony which took place on June 3rd in Toronto. Caitlyn graduated from Bayside Secondary with an 83% GPA. She was accepted into both Guelph and Nipissing Universities for September 2013. Caitlyn has been aware of the Clark Award since she was 15 years old and has shaped some of her decisions (extensive volunteer work/aiming for 80+ GPA) to meet the award criteria with the goal of becoming a strong candidate.
Caitlyn’s vision for herself is two-fold, on the one hand she envisions working with non-profit/non-governmental organizations focusing on foreign aid and disaster. On the other hand, she has a strong pull towards the nursing field.
The Clark Grant Award is a one-time grant of $1,000 offered to young people who are pursuing educational, employment or skills development programs and require financial assistance. The grant is available for tuition, equipment, tools or other requirements.
Emma was a recent recipient of a Clark Grant Award. She is a motivated young lady who knows what she wants and takes the steps to accomplish her goals. This year when she looked into Fashion Management; it seemed like a perfect fit for her and so in September, Emma will be attending Humber College to take courses in this field.
In partnership with the Children's Aid Foundation (CAF), select RONA Home and Garden stores across Ontario collaborate each year to raise funds through the sale of JJ teddy bears. These funds are provided to help youth in care and former youth in care pursue post-secondary education. The award is a one-time scholarship of $3,000.
Tianna is the proud recipient of a RONA award this year. She is graduating from Centre Hastings Secondary School and will be entering into the two-year Early Childhood Education Diploma Program at Fleming College in September. She prefers nursery aged children so will likely pursue a career in a nursery/pre-school. Today, Tianna would clearly state her intent is to work at the Central Hastings Early Education and Childcare Centre, where she completed her high school placement and has been volunteering regularly over the last two years.
Jennifer Kearns, a Children’s Services worker with Highland Shores Children’s Aid commented, "What a wonderful opportunity it was to be a part of the HSCA selection committee and having the chance to assist in putting the names of these deserving young women forward for consideration for these awards. They teach us about resilience, perseverance, strength and motivation as they head off to take the next step in their educational journey. We are so proud and wish them much success in the future."
