Marie-Jeanne Rossier née Roulet Memorial Scholarship

Award created thanks to the generosity of the family of Marie-Jeanne Rossier

Award Overview

Value of the award:
Minimum $1,000
Number of awards:
Variable
Award frequency:
Annual
Level or program of study:
Graduate
Application Type:
Online Scholarship and Bursaries portal, accessible via uoZone.
Application Deadline:
November 3
Renewable:
No

Purpose of this Award

To grant a scholarship to a student enrolled in an education program at the University of Ottawa who is studying in or specializing in French in the field of learning disability rehabilitation.

Eligibility Criteria

The candidate must:

  1. be a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident or a person with protected or refugee status
  2. be enrolled in a master’s in education, a master of arts, or a doctoral program in the Faculty of Education at the University of Ottawa
  3. have French as their language of study
  4. show aptitude for study or research
  5. show proven interest and aptitude in working in French with children, teens or young adults experiencing learning disabilities
Note: Any eligible individual, regardless of race, creed, age, gender or religion, may apply for this scholarship.

How to Apply

Submitted in the Online Scholarship and Bursaries portal, accessible via uoZone, and must include:

  1. an unofficial copy of the applicant’s transcript
  2. the Online Scholarship and Bursaries CV
  3. a letter (max. 500 words) explaining the applicant’s sustained interest in learning disabilities
  4. a letter of recommendation

About this Award

Born in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, Marie-Jeanne Rossier studied at the University of Geneva under the direction of Jean Piaget. There she earned a diploma in pedagogy and a special diploma in applied pediatric psychology.

In 1968, she emigrated to Canada and earned a bachelor’s degree in orthopedagogy from the University of Sherbrooke. In 1973, she began working in Ottawa as a remedial teacher before becoming an assistant professor in the Faculty of Education at the University of Ottawa in 1980. She specialized in designing innovative ways to screen for and rehabilitate learning disabilities, in close cooperation with Centre JulesLéger. 

She focused her energy on young people who, right from the start, had little chance of succeeding in school. She knew how to move past the awkwardness of these children to spark their spirit. As a model teacher, she spontaneously expressed wonder and her poetic vision of education.

In 1988, her family created the memorial fund that bears her name in order to continue her work.