Student Awards and Scholarships

Objective

To provide direction for the administration of Division student awards.

To provide direction for the establishment and administration of community-sponsored awards and scholarships for students.

Definitions

Community sponsored awards and scholarships are funded by community stakeholders and administered by the Division.

Division student awards are a specific set of awards based on Division-developed criteria and managed collaboratively between schools and central staff.

Donations represent a voluntary transfer of property, usually cash, made without expectation of return.

Scholarship is funding awarded on the basis of specific criteria and achievement to support a student's education.

School-level awards or scholarships are those which, once established, are specific to an individual school and only students from the school may be eligible.

Responsibility

Principals are responsible for:

• Supporting the nomination or selection of students for Division student awards, based on the criteria for each award.
• Working with central staff to establish a community sponsored award or scholarship when approached by a potential community donor.
• Working with central staff to verify applicants meet award and scholarship criteria.
• Administering any school-level awards.

Central staff are responsible for:

• Administering all Division student awards according to the terms and conditions of each award.
• Informing staff, students and parents about award and scholarship opportunities including key dates.
• Collaborating with potential donors to support the establishment of a community sponsored award or scholarship.
• Supporting the annual implementation of awards and scholarships in collaboration with schools and community sponsors.
• Preparing acknowledgement materials for recipients.
• Supporting the ongoing review of community sponsored awards and scholarships in collaboration with the community sponsor and/or school to determine continuation of the award.
• Maintaining a record of Division student award recipients.
• Administering funds held in trust for community sponsored awards and scholarships.
• Maintaining records of financial contributions made to award and scholarship funds, and issuing charitable tax receipts for donations that meet CRA requirements.
• Filling tax information for all recipients who received scholarships or awards over $500.

Regulation

1. DIVISION STUDENT AWARDS
   
   1. The Michael A. Strembitsky Award of Excellence, is a Board-sponsored Division award, established in the name of the longest-serving superintendent, Michael A. Strembitsky. Each year, Grade 12 students from Division high schools who are completing their schooling and have demonstrated excellence in their overall performance are eligible for this award. The award is administered in collaboration between Division high schools and central staff, using the following process:
      1. Each high school principal establishes a school level process to nominate one eligible Grade 12 student from the school. Eligible students will demonstrate:
         1. Excellence in personal, social, and academic endeavours.
         2. Keen interest in a broad range of subjects and activities.
         3. Willingness to seek meaningful change.
         4. Initiative, courage, confidence, and a commitment to excellence.
         5. Cooperation with other students, staff and community members.
         6. Potential to provide leadership throughout life.
         7. Responsible participation in society.
      2. Central staff staff establishes and facilitates an award selection committee to:
         1. Engage with award nominees.
         2. Adjudicate on the basis of the award criteria.
         3. Recommend recipients for the gold, silver and bronze award.
      3. At a June public Board meeting:
         1. All award nominees are recognized in a manner determined by the Board and the three award recipients are announced.
   2. The other established Division student awards recognize Grade 12 high school students for their effort and achievement in the areas of academic skills, determination, artistic achievements, contributions to health and wellness or demonstrations of leadership and citizenship. These awards are administered in collaboration between Division high schools and central staff based on award criteria outlined on the Division website.
      
      
2. COMMUNITY SPONSORED AWARDS AND SCHOLARSHIPS
   1. The Division collaborates with potential community sponsors who wish to establish awards or scholarships. Awards or scholarships may be established that:
      1. Reflect the Division’s Vision, Mission and Priorities.
      2. Align with Division criteria supporting award and scholarship establishment.
   2. Community sponsored awards and scholarships shall be established and defined with the following information:
      1. purpose and nature
      2. eligibility and nomination criteria
      3. selection process
      4. presentation procedures
      5. funding arrangements
      6. criteria for review
         
         Central staff support the completion of the Division template. This work is done in collaboration with the community sponsor and schools as appropriate.
         
         
   3. If an an established community sponsored award or scholarship has insufficient funds, central staff will invite the community sponsor to choose one of the following options:
      1. Decommission the award or scholarship and donate the remaining funds to the Edmonton Public Schools Foundation or a specific school.
      2. Invest additional funds for the award or scholarship to continue.
         
         
   4. If a community sponsored award or scholarship has insufficient funds and the community sponsor has passed away or cannot otherwise be contacted, central staff shall facilitate a donation of the remaining funds to the Division, a specific school or the Edmonton Public Schools Foundation based on criteria and the circumstance unique to the award in question.
      
      
   5. If during the term of the community sponsored award or scholarship, there is difficulty finding students who meet the criteria and thus the funds are unable to be used as intended, central staff will work with the community sponsor and/or school to review criteria and determine appropriate next steps in regards to the use of the existing funds and alignment to this regulation.
      
      
   6. Should information emerge regarding the reputation of a community sponsor or namesake of a Division community sponsored award or scholarship that could potentially be in contradiction to the Division’s Cornerstone Values, the Division may, at its own discretion, choose to decommission the award or scholarship. If the award or scholarship fund in question is overseen by an external third party, central staff will work with the funding partner to decline the Division’s participation in the award.
      
      
   7. In the event of school or program amalgamation, closure or relocation, Division staff will, in collaboration with the community sponsor, facilitate the transferring of any community sponsored awards and scholarships, specific to the school, to a new school or program.

References