The Canada Post Awards for Indigenous Students were created in 2004 to celebrate the hard work and determination of individuals of Indigenous heritage who’ve embraced a renewed pursuit of learning. The awards are granted annually to select applicants from across the country, and recipients are awarded $2,000 in recognition of their efforts.
How to Apply
- Eligibility
- Application
- Judging
- Terms
- Are a Canadian and a member of a First Nation, Métis, or Inuit community.
- Have been out of school for 1 year or more and are returning.
- Have already returned to school and completed 1 full year of studies.
- Have never received this award in the past (you can apply as many times as you want, but you can only receive the award once).
- Complete the application form.
- Write an essay:
- Your essay should be typed, double-spaced on letter-sized stationery, and no more than 5 pages long.
- Information about the challenges you faced in school prior to leaving.
- Reasons why you left school.
- How being out of school has affected your life.
- Why you decided to return to school.
- A network of assistance or support you might have set up for yourself.
- Any hardships or difficulties you experienced to stay in school after returning.
- How your life has changed since you returned.
- What the next steps in your education will be and how you plan to accomplish those steps.
- Provide school transcripts or a letter from an academic supporter (photocopies are acceptable).
- Include a photocopy of a community membership card or an official letter from a community member.
- A panel of Canada Post representatives and a member of the Indigenous community read and evaluate all submissions and select the winners.
- The selection jury will read all submissions that meet the requirements outlined in the award description. The decisions of the selection jury are final.
- Canada Post reserves the right to use photographs or other such material in the award presentation for communication purposes.
- Successful applicants agree to accept the award as presented and must sign a waiver and consent form.
- All submissions, including support materials, become the property of the Awards for Indigenous Students Committee and will not be returned.
- The Canada Post Awards for Indigenous Students Committee may publish or publicize information from any submission without compensation to the applicant.
- By signing the Applicant Submission form, the applicant agrees to the Awards rules.