|
Ralph Klein Announces Alberta-Funded National Scholarship Program |
|
|
|
Written by Wire Services
|
|
Monday, 21 November 2005 |
A new, Alberta-funded national scholarship program has been launched by the Government of Alberta as an Alberta centennial gift to Canadians.
The Alberta Centennial Scholarships Program will provide 325 scholarships annually, worth $2,005 each, to post-secondary students across Canada. Awards will be provided to 25 students from each province and territory, including Alberta, beginning next year. Premier Ralph Klein announced the scholarship program in a speech in Ottawa on November 21.
While in the nation's capital, Klein also visited the National Gallery of Canada to unveil a painting by Alberta artist Joane Cardinal-Schubert that Alberta has donated to the gallery as a centennial gift to Canada. The work, titled "Song of My Dream Bed Dance," is intended to serve as a symbol of Alberta's proud history and the heritage of its Aboriginal peoples. The work is valued at $14,000.
"These two initiatives are Alberta's way of celebrating the province's centennial with our fellow Canadians," said Klein. "They are also a way of expressing Albertans' thanks to Canada for 100 years of being part of the best country in the world. In recent years, Albertans have often been reminded of how Canadians help each other in times of need. Albertans are grateful for the Hay West program organized by Canadians a few years ago, when drought was threatening the province's agricultural sector. We benefited when Canadians enthusiastically rallied behind the province's beef industry when it was crippled by the BSE scare. The new scholarship and the magnificent work of
Alberta art are small but enduring ways for Alberta, in its centennial year, to thank fellow Canadians for their incredible support over the last century."
The centennial scholarships are focused on helping young Canadians from all walks of life achieve their personal dreams, Klein said. Under program guidelines, each province and territory will be asked to nominate 25 recipients for the awards. The only criterion is that recipients attend institutions in Canada. "It is Alberta's hope these awards will go to Canadians who need a bit of financial help to achieve their educational goals," Klein said. "But each province and territory can select its recipients based on its own priorities for students."
The Alberta government will work with other provinces and territories to present the first round of scholarships for the 2006-07 academic year. A new endowment account for $20 million will be established within the Alberta Heritage Scholarship Fund to support the initiative. Further details of the program will be provided early in the new year.
"These centennial gifts to Canadians demonstrate in a small way the pride we have in our country, and celebrate the fellowship we have with all provinces and territories," said Alberta International and Intergovernmental Relations Minister Ed Stelmach.
|
