The Federation’s Youth Education Bursary

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“When I turned 11, I was placed into foster care and separated from my siblings. From my very rocky and unstable journey through the foster care system, I knew I wanted to help children who were being put into a situation that was out of their control. I decided on a career in social work, and now because of the help and support I have received from organizations like The Federation, I am starting my Masters of Clinical Social Work degree in the fall of 2016.”  – 2016 Bursary Recipient

The Federation’s Youth Education Bursary was one of the things that really inspired me when I first joined The Federation team.

More than just a dollar amount of financial support, it was—and still is—one of the ways this federation sees young people as more than simply their experience in government care. It imagines their potential and supports them in reaching it.

The bursary helps support the next generation of social service carers and advocates and it welcomes young people into the career path we have all traveled. We consistently hear from applicants how much they want to use their experiences to help make things better for other young people like them. It’s inspiring and heartwarming and it is all possible because of you.

The Bursary was established in 2009 by Federation members who wanted to encourage and support young people in government care to pursue a career in our sector. Recently, post-secondary institutions have followed suit and now offer tuition waivers to young people from care.

However, our Youth Education Bursary is still very necessary. Tuition waivers don’t cover all the costs of university and many youth in care go to schools without tuition waiver programs.

As we head into the holiday season, I know your agencies are exceptionally busy. Many of you coordinate other activities and programs that help vulnerable families and we don’t want to compete with this work. I also know it’s a time for your own giving campaigns. I hope all of your holiday activities are successful and serve you well.

But I also hope that you can help us promote the Youth Education Bursary at this time of year. If you can, please spread the word and consider making a donation in the name of someone you care about as part of your holiday giving.