Africa Community Service Fund

Award offered by the University of Ottawa

Award Overview

Value of the award:
$2,000
Number of awards:
Variable
Award frequency:
Bi-annual, when possible
Level or program of study:
Undergraduate
Application Type:
Online Scholarship and Bursaries portal, accessible via uoZone.
Application Deadline:
November 3
Renewable:
No

Purpose of this Award

Provide financial assistance to students to travel to Africa to plan and implement their own community service initiatives or to participate in field courses or unpaid COOP placements.


Note: Community service activities cannot be implemented in an African country where Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada have issued an ‘avoid non-essential travel' advisory

Eligibility Criteria

The candidate must:

  1. be a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident or a person with the protected/refugee status
  2. be registered as a full-time or part-time student in an undergraduate program at the University of Ottawa
  3. travel to Africa to carry out a future community service project or participate in a field work course that has a community service component of benefit to the community in which it takes place or participate in an unpaid COOP placement

How to Apply

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

  1. the Curriculum Vitae on Online Scholarships and Bursaries
  2. a copy of the applicant's co-curricular records (if applicable)
  3. two letters of recommendation from members of the University faculty who know the applicant. If the trip is part of a credited course, one of the letters should come from the professor organizing the field course
  4. a 500-word letter from the applicant that includes:
a. a summary of the future community service activities to be undertaken including clarification of how the community service responds to community needs and helps the student further his/her skills and/or leadership Terms of Reference Africa Community Service Fund

b. a summary of his/her community engagement activities carried out to date 

c. a short budget outlining the total travel costs and funds already raised for the trip and what is the amount of the shortfall to be covered

About this Award

The fund is established by the University of Ottawa in support of the Michaëlle Jean Centre for Global and Community Engagement, which allows the university community to play an active role in the local, national or international community. Contributions from alumni and friends of the University provide the resources necessary for the fund to accomplish its goal. Major contributors to the fund include Marc Sylvain and the Destination 2020 Matching Fund.