Yorkville U students happy to help First Nation communities
Scholarships for women in engineering
Small town girl wins BC photo contests, wants to study photography
Yorkville U students happy to help First Nation communities
Yorkville University offers a structured and accessible online learning program that does not disrupt daily life. It prepares students to adapt to changes in society and social norms by using sound judgment, personal resources, and an in-depth understanding of the practical issues confronting the complex world of professional counselling. Students Catia Carrier, Brenda Reynolds and Andrew Alkenbrack may be miles apart but they still share a few things in common. They have a keen interest in their Native culture, dedicate their lives to the health and well being of Aboriginal people and communities, and are all currently enrolled in Yorkville University to obtain their Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology degree.
Catia Carrier began her career as a Native Advisor working with Aboriginal students and has recently joined Yorkville University to grasp a fuller understanding of the current issues Aboriginal people experience. Catia is thankful for the online services at Yorkville because she is unable to relocate to a traditional university. “I am dedicated to my career and family and not in a position to leave them behind,” Catia explains. “The distance learning program allows students to fulfill their course requirements on their own time and still meet deadlines.” Yorkville University is just the beginning for Catia, she intends on pursuing her doctorate degree to promote health and well being within the First Nations Culture.
As a mother of five and social worker in child welfare for twenty three years in First Nation communities, Brenda Reynolds, like Catia, was not interested in relocating to further her studies. “Yorkville is flexible for study and has an excellent support staff that is there to help seven days a week,” Brenda says of the Yorkville staff. Brenda continues to work toward her degree while staying active in her community, practicing as a social worker specializing in addictions and relationships, running marathons, and enjoying time with her family. Thanks to Yorkville University she finds time to do all the things she loves.
Fellow student Andrew Alkenbrack agrees that Yorkville's flexible time schedules and staff are instrumental in ensuring a successful experience. “I adjusted quickly to the online environment, thanks to the helpful staff and my classmates who quickly became friends,” Andrew says of his transition period. Andrew recognizes the need for mental health workers in his community and is optimistic that Yorkville University will enhance his counselling skills, credibility and employment opportunities. As a dedicated member of the First Nation’s community Andrew is committed to furthering his education. Upon graduation he will accept a position as a Crisis Worker at his local hospital on a part-time basis while doing other work for local mental health care providers.
Catia, Brenda and Andrew have all made exceptional and significant contributions to Aboriginal people and the First Nation communities and intend on making many more. Yorkville University wishes them the best of luck.
Scholarships for women in engineering
More Canadian women will be able to pursue successful careers in engineering thanks to two new annual scholarships from AMEC.
The Canadian Engineering Memorial Foundation (CEMF) is excited to announce its partnership with AMEC for the two scholarships for women in engineering beginning this fall. CEMF was founded in 1990 to develop scholarship and award programs encouraging women to choose a career in engineering and to honour of the memory of the 14 women at École Polytechnique whose contributions to Canada ended on December 6, 1989.
AMEC is funding the new $10,000 AMEC Masters Scholarship in Engineering and the new $5,000 undergraduate AMEC Scholarship in Engineering for Aboriginal Women. Both will be awarded annually for three years beginning in the fall of 2006.
As well, AMEC is ensuring these women will have the opportunity to gain valuable work experience by offering the scholarship recipients summer employment. AMEC’s total commitment to CEMF's scholarship program is $60,000.
The partnership comes at an essential time in Canada, with the number of women enrolling in accredited engineering programs on the decline. Total full-time female undergraduate enrolment has dropped from 20.6 per cent in 2001 to 18.5 percent in 2004. This decline is even more dramatic when compared with the fact that women account for close to 60 per cent of the overall undergraduate student body at Canadian universities. As well, women represent only 10 per cent of the 160,000 licensed engineers across Canada and the number of Aboriginal Women in engineering is significantly lower.
“AMEC recognizes that there is a real need to encourage more women to enter engineering,” says Michael Jolliffe, Vice President, Government Relations and Communications, AMEC. “We’re pleased to partner with the CEMF on new scholarships, and one which will encourage Aboriginal Women to enter engineering.”
These new scholarships will be awarded based on leadership, extracurricular activities and the applicant's dedication to encouraging more women to enter engineering, rather than academic performance. CEMF now offers a total of 10 scholarships at the graduate and undergraduate levels for women in engineering.
AMEC is an international project management and services company that designs, delivers and supports client assets for customers worldwide across the public and private sectors. AMEC employs 45,000 people in more than 40 countries, generating annual revenues of around Cdn$11 billion. With Canadian headquarters in Oakville, ON, AMEC has approximately 4,000 employees operating from 70 offices. Engineering News Record Magazine has ranked AMEC as the #1 International Design Firm in Canada. For more information on AMEC, please visit www.amec.com.
Criteria and application information and forms on the new AMEC scholarships, along with information on all available scholarships, can be found on the CEMF website at www.cemf.ca.
Small town girl wins BC photo contest, wants to study photography
By Rudy Kelly
(Left) Winning Photo; (right) Photographer Kyra Price.
According to Kyra Price, it wasn’t her best shot but, as far as the B.C. Child and Youth Office goes, it was the winning one.
The 16-year-old Price, of Prince Rupert, B.C., took first place in a provincial photo contest sponsored by the government’s Child and Youth Officer agency. Her winning picture was of her two youngest sisters.
“I didn’t really think much of it. It was just something I did because I they’re so cute,” laughed Price, who actually thought that, if she was going to win, it would be with another shot.
“There was one with me and some friends acting like Charlies Angels on a big rock; I thought I might win with that one.”
The contest was part of the Child and Youth Officer’s Youth Engagement Project held in over the past winter and spring, when it invited young people in communities all over the province to participate in answering the question: how can services for youth could be better than they currently are?
The Child and Youth Officer gives independent advice to governments and communities about how to improve services for children and youth in BC.
The project’s goal was to get youth to come up with creative ideas and advice that would inspire government and communities to work with them to change the system and make the services more effective. Over 700 disposable cameras were handed out, one of them, of course, to Price, while attending a workshop at Planet Youth in Prince Rupert.
“It’s a very good shot,” said Youth Participation Coordinator, Jorge Salazar, of why they choose Price’s photo for top spot. “We choose it because it conveyed a lot of feelings about caring, about community, and looking after children.”
Price won $100 and her photo, along with those of other top pics, will be featured in the Youth Engagement Project publication that is being released in the fall.
“Oh my God!” was her mom, Denise Wilson’s first response when finding out about the first place shot. “It was great. Kyra was so proud, strutting around. We were so surprised.”
As for Price’s thoughts on the Engagement Project itself, which involved some 75 workshops across the province, Price said it was a good idea because youth need to be given more of a voice.
“It’s a bit of a mess,” Price said of the government’s youth services. “They don’t pay enough attention to youth. They need to learn to not go into youth meetings blind and think they already know everything.”
Currently, Price is living in Port Simpson and working at the store there, but she has aspirations to learn more about photography.
“I definitely have an interest in photography. I’m thinking of going to school to learn more about taking pictures and the technical side of it.”
Of course, her mother is hoping she follows through on that thought.
“That would be so cool. I hope she does go for it.”