Category: Education

Apply for a free 2-day Trades training!

Are you 18+ with lived experience in the child welfare system? Discover your passion for Ontario’s skilled trades!

The Trades Ready Youth 2-Day Workshop entails:

  • Construction Industry Certifications
  • Hands-on training for entry-level Electrical apprentice skills (Wiring, VR, etc.)
  • Mentorship sessions
  • Networking opportunities

Coffee, light snacks and lunch will be provided. Hard hat and work boots included.

Date and Time: Feb. 4 and 5, 2025, 8 am – 4 pm

Address: IBEW Local 804 5158 Fountain St N, Breslau, ON

Register now at: Give the Trades a TRY! | Child Welfare PAC.

Voices Scholarship Program 2024 – 2025

The Voices Scholarship Program consists of five awards: The Voices Bursary, the Marie Christian Award, the Reaching for the Stars Scholarship, the Honouring Our Youth Scholarship, and the Kiwiytin Scholarship:

The Voices Bursary is made possible through the fundraising efforts of Voices members and staff, and donations from the public.  Administered by The Winnipeg Foundation, this award of $1000 is given to a youth in or from care from any community in Manitoba, in recognition and celebration of how far you’ve come, and where you’re headed.

The Marie Christian Award (also known as the Lemonade Award) is a $1000 award is given to youth in or from care who embody leadership qualities including integrity, compassion, kindness, and bold audacity. Additional consideration will be given to youth who exhibit a positive attitude and determination to take sour circumstances and create delicious opportunities.

The Reaching for the Stars Scholarship, valued at $500, will be awarded to one female recipient in or from care in Manitoba who is attending post-secondary education, to help that young woman reach for the stars and obtain her highest aspirations.  The scholarship is sponsored by Chapter H of the Philanthropic Educational Organization (P.E.O.) of Winnipeg, Manitoba.

The Honouring Our Youth Scholarship, valued at $1000, is sponsored by the Child and Youth Care Workers Association of Manitoba (CYCWAM), a non-profit, volunteer association of child and youth care workers in the province of Manitoba.

The Kiwiytin Scholarship, is valued at $2000. This award is given to students in or from care who have a clear sense of their Kiwiytin (their North Star) and are taking steps in the right direction towards achieving their dreams.

https://voices.mb.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024-2025-Voices-Scholarship-Application.pdf

Remember to save your copy to your device before filling it in. If you would prefer a paper copy be mailed to you, send us an email at ask@voices.mb.ca.  Application deadline: September 23rd, 2024.

Support to Action Webinars: Free and Online

Employment Ontario is offering free online webinars geared towards educational liaisons, case workers, independence workers, child and youth workers, child welfare system staff who support youth, foster parents, adoptive parents, youth in transition workers and community partners who support at risk youth.

You will learn

  • What is the Trades Ready Youth Program by Child welfare PAC
  • What is a trade and what is an apprenticeship
  • What it means to be “Trades Ready”
  • What are the five things that a youth can do to be a trades ready youth?

Presenter experience includes:

  • Retired Director of Service, Child and Family Services
  • Apprenticeship Youth Advisor
  • Education Specialist in Apprenticeship Pathways

Date and Time:

  • September 17 at 3:00 – 4:15 pm
  • September 18 at 7:00 – 8:15 pm

45 minute presentation & 30 min question and answer session.

Register now at Support to Action Webinars | Trades Ready Youth (childwelfarepac.com)

Clark Bursary Award Program

OACAS is pleased to announce the reopening of the Clark Bursary Award and new eligibility criteria for 2024 applications. OACAS administers the Clark Bursary Award Program on behalf of the Ron and Nancy Clark Foundation.

Award applications will be accepted from July 15 until August 31. Applicants may be eligible to receive a $2,000 Clark Bursary Award, paid in one lump sum. 

All award decisions will be made on a first come first served basis for those youth who meet the eligibility criteria.

Eligibility Criteria

Applicants must:

  • Be 30 years of age or under at the time of application.
  • Be/have been in the care of an Ontario children’s aid society or an Indigenous Child and Family Well-Being Agency.
  • Be in, entering, or graduating from a post-secondary educational activity (trade, apprenticeship, or university or college program) OR
  • Be 18+ and completing secondary school credits through an adult learning centre or credit completion program.
  • Provide proof of educational activity (class schedule, transcript, graduation diploma, certificate, invoice, or other proof of an expense related to education, training, or certification). The activity must be current, planned for the next semester, or within the 12 months before submission.

Click here to register and apply. See here for more details.

If you have any question regarding the Clark Bursary Awards program, contact awards@oacas.org.

Please know that your information is collected and used for the sole purpose of administering the Clark Bursary program. If you’d like to withdraw your consent at any time or discuss how it is being used, contact awards@oacas.org.

Additional Financial Support

Youth in Care Tuition Bursary at Seneca College

On May 14, 2021, Seneca launched a tuition bursary that will pay tuition for current or former youth in extended society care who are pursuing their first postsecondary credential. In addition to financial support, interested youth can be matched with a Seneca staff member who will support them throughout their program and assist them in accessing resources such as mentoring, tutoring and academic advising.

Eligibility

There is no age cap for this bursary. The applicant must be a current or former youth in extended society care (Crown ward) or Customary Care (including Voluntary Youth Service Agreements), not adopted, who has been in the care of an Ontario Children’s Aid Society for a minimum of 12 months (consecutive or cumulative) as defined by the Child, Youth and Family Services Act (CYFSA) of Ontario. The applicant must also demonstrate financial need and must be applying for their first postsecondary credential.

Bursary Value

This bursary is valued at the total amount of tuition fees for any Seneca diploma, degree or certificate program. The bursary will be renewed each academic year until graduation, provided the recipient has fulfilled all program requirements (i.e. maintained a full-time course load, met the minimum grade requirements, etc.) and continues to demonstrate financial need.

What is a youth in extended society care?

A youth in extended society care (also referred to as a foster child or a Crown ward) is a youth who is placed in the care and custody of the Children’s Aid Society when it has been determined that they can no longer live with their birth parents, and that a better and less restrictive option (such as placing the child with relatives) is not available. The province accepts all rights and responsibilities for the youth until they turn 18, get married or are adopted.

When is the deadline for current or prospective students to apply for this bursary?

  • Sept. 20, 2024 for the Fall 2024 Term
  • Jan. 17, 2025 for the Winter 2025 Term

The criteria to apply are as follows:

  • must be a current or former youth in extended society care (Crown ward) or Customary Care (including Voluntary Youth Service Agreements), not adopted, who has been in care for a minimum of 12 months in the Ontario care system
  • must apply to Seneca through the Ontario College Application Service (OCAS) and receive an offer of admission before applying for the bursary (prospective students may contact Recruitment by email at YouthinCare@senecapolytechnic.ca to discuss program options)
  • must be pursuing first postsecondary credential
  • must be applying for full-time studies (at least 66 per cent course load) in a day program
  • must submit an Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) application every academic year
  • must demonstrate financial need
  • must apply for the bursary prior to the start of studies (current students are welcome to apply for the upcoming semester)

Current Seneca students application can email YouthinCare@senecapolytechnic.ca to indicate your intent to apply for the bursary, and Judy Pattison, Student Recruitment Liaison Officer, will help you through the process.

Prospective students who are interested in the bursary must first apply to Seneca through OCAS and be accepted to a program before applying for the bursary (students may contact Recruitment by email at YouthinCare@senecapolytechnic.ca to discuss program options).

For more information, please check out: Youth in Care Tuition Bursary | Awards, Scholarships and Bursaries | Seneca Students (senecapolytechnic.ca).

Free Application for Indigenous Applicants at Red River College in June

Any application submitted at Red River College (RRC) between June 1 and June 30 will have the application fee waived for all First Nations, Métis and Inuit applicants. All programs and all intakes are eligible for only one free application. Additional applications will be subject to the normal fees.

Before applying, you should review the program admission requirements, as well as the program start date, location and fees. If you need any help you can contact our Indigenous Admissions Advisor (Weeshengaawin) or email indigenous.advisor@rrc.ca.

You will be able to apply online through an RRC Polytech account. You can work on your application over several sessions, upload required documents, view your final application and more. You can start your online application here, https://apply.rrc.ca/.

You can also apply in person at one of the Student Service Centres. You can check the locations of the centres here, https://www.rrc.ca/services/student-service-centres/.

RRC Polytech offers 150 programs. You can explore the different programs here, Results : RRC Polytech: Program Explorer.

New process for submitting payments for Manitoba student loans

The Governments of Canada and Manitoba have integrated some of the administration of their student loan programs. For Manitoba Student Aid (MSA) borrowers, this means that the loan disbursement and repayment of Manitoba student loans are now managed by the National Student Loans Service Centre (NSLSC). Students will continue to submit new student loan applications, requests for reassessments and appeals for funding to MSA as that part of the MSA program is not changing.

Please note that MSA is no longer accepting payments for Manitoba student loans. Please visit the NSLSC website to learn how you can continue repayment of your Manitoba Student Loan.

For further information, please check out the link here: Frequently Asked Questions about the Canada-Manitoba Integrated Student Loan.

B.C. Provincial Tuition Waiver Program Promotional Materials

As part of StudentAid BC’s expansion of the Provincial Tuition Waiver Program (PTWP) for former B.C. youth in care in 2023, they have shared a set of promotional materials to help increase awareness and access to the program.

The following promotional materials are now available:

✔️  8.5×11 inch poster for your office poster boards
✔️  Graphic for sharing on your social media channels
✔️  Digital sign for digital displays
✔️  YouTube video highlighting StudentAid BC programs for Former Youth in Care
✔️  Rack card to share with former children and youth in care you are connected with (sample below)

The poster, social media graphic and digital sign can be downloaded via the links above and are available on the Forms Library on the StudentAid BC website.

High quality versions of the poster and rack card are both available for order (free of charge). Complete this order form and submit by March 8, 2024, and the requested materials will be mailed to the addressee in Spring 2024.

Feel free to share this email and links with your networks to help former B.C. children and youth in care learn about and access the Provincial Tuition Waiver Program.

If you have any questions related to the above information, please contact tuitionwaiver@gov.bc.ca.

WoodGreen Rent Smart

On behalf of WoodGreen Community Services, we are excited to announce that we will be offering a winter session of Rent Smart starting in late February, 2024, co-facilitated by Will McCarty from our own Youth Housing Navigation and Subsidy Support Program, Stella Rose and Karen Hawes from our Financial Empowerment team and Karly Wilson, a housing lawyer and collaborator from the Don Valley Legal Community Services.

There are 6 modules in all, covered over the course of three sessions on topics designed to help young people identify and sustain housing in Toronto and the GTA. They are as follows:

1. Identifying and securing housing

2. What to look for in your search and how to view and inspect a unit

3. How to assess affordability

4. Considering types of housing (individual vs joint tenancies)

5. Types of agreements (standard leases vs subletting arrangements)

6. Landlord engagement – tips and tricks

7. Effective communication

8. Credit reports

9. Human rights and discrimination

10. The Residential Tenancies Act (RTA)

11. Rights, responsibilities and expectations under the RTA

12. Making a budget and filing taxes

13. What financial benefits are there to help?

14. Evictions and the Landlord Tenant Board

Please note that these sessions are open to all, regardless of age or background, but with a focus on youth aged 16-30 years old.

Those who complete all three sessions will receive a certification demonstrating their provincial tenancy knowledge. While participants are more than welcome to attend single sessions, all three must be completed in order to receive their certificate.

Please find the Information for These Sessions Below:

Time: Session Dates: Locations Details:

6:00PM – 8:00PM Wednesday February 21st Part 1 815 Danforth Ave – 1st floor

6:00PM – 8:00PM Wednesday February 28th Part 2 815 Danforth Ave – 1st floor

6:00PM – 8:00PM Wednesday March 6th Part 3 815 Danforth Ave – 1st floor

Attached you will find our flyer. If you have any questions regarding this training, please feel free to use the contact information on the flyer and we will respond as soon as possible.

Kind regards,

Erik

Children’s Aid Foundation of Canada’s 2024-25 Scholarship Application is Now Open, Apply Today!

Children’s Aid Foundation of Canada post-secondary scholarships award young people $5000 for each academic year until they finish their program (to a maximum of 7 years from their program start) through a once yearly competitive application. The deadline to apply is Wednesday, January 24th, 2024.

If you are starting or continuing in full time studies in the 2024-25 academic year, and aren’t already receiving a Foundation Scholarship ($5000 a year)*, apply here for the Children’s Aid Foundation of Canada Scholarship today!

Visit our website for the link to the online application form, full eligibility information and answers to the most asked questions, or contact the Foundation’s PSE team at grants@cafdn.org .

Scholarship applications are open to youth with both financial need and the potential to succeed in their program of study. To be eligible, a student must be:

  • Be attending a post-secondary institution full-time or on a reduced schedule due to an academic accommodation, for a full school year starting in September 2024 or January 2025
  • Have been or will be in the temporary or permanent care of the Ministry or Department responsible for child protection services up until your age of majority birthday or had been in permanent care of the Ministry or Department responsible for child protection services for at least 12 months
  • Are under the age of 30
  • Are over the age of 30 and have not received a CAFC Scholarship or Bursary before

If you have any questions about the application form, process, or eligibility, we can help!  

Email grants@cafdn.org with your questions and visit our website for more information and the application link.