This year the Bursary Society CFUW-Sunshine Coast is celebrating 30 years of providing educational bursaries to women on the Sunshine Coast. The application process is launching on March 8, in honour of International Women’s Day. Bursaries are available to women (21 and older) from the Coast who wish to upgrade their skills and further their education. The annual bursaries are for a certificate, diploma or degree at an accredited post-secondary educational institution or through an accredited on-line program or course(s).
The hope of upgrading one’s education and finding meaningful employment is out of reach for many women on the Coast. Thanks to the generosity of Club members and the community, over $185,000 has been raised since 1990. Inclusive in the program is a bursary available to a woman studying in a non-traditional field.
One of the 2019 bursary recipients was Lindsay. She works part time as a community health worker for Vancouver Coastal Health and does online courses full time. She lives with her common-law spouse and her two daughters ages nine and five.
“I have wanted to be an elementary school teacher for most of my life and was studying to be one when I became pregnant with my first daughter,” Lindsay says. “When my oldest daughter was a year and a half old, I decided to take the Health Care Assistant program at Capilano University, Sechelt Campus. Now that my youngest daughter is in elementary school, I have decided to go back to school to pursue my dreams of being a teacher.”
Information and applications are available on at www.cfuwscbursarysociety.org. Completed applications must be received by May 1. Bursaries will be awarded to successful applicants in May.
These bursaries make a positive impact on the lives of local women and their families. The feedback from bursary recipients is that they could not have succeeded without such financial support and encouragement.
Educational bursaries for women would not be possible without your financial support. If you wish to donate, please check Bursary Society website. Additional ways to show support include the Bursary Society endowment fund and IGA Marketplace fundraising cards.
– Submitted by the Bursary Society, CFUW-SC
