Irene and William Duquette Faculty of Education Indigenous Scholarship (OTSS)

Award offered by the Faculty of Education

Award Overview

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

Purpose of this Award

To provide financial assistance to students enrolled in the final year of the Indigenous Teacher Education Program, the Teacher Education Program, the Formation à l’enseignement program or a graduate program at the Faculty of Education, and whose education might otherwise be compromised. The Irene and William Duquette Scholarship will be awarded annually to students who best meet the criteria listed below.

Eligibility Criteria

The candidate must:

  1. be a Canadian citizen
  2. be enrolled in the final year of one of the following programs at the Faculty of Education, University of Ottawa: the Indigenous Teacher Education Program (ITEP), the Teacher Education Program, the Formation à l’enseignement program, any graduate program
  3. provide documented proof of Indigenous identity, in accordance with the requirements of the University of Ottawa Eligibility for Focused Admissions, Scholarships, and Bursaries for First Nations, Inuit, and Métis People administrative procedure
  4. demonstrate a commitment to Indigenous education and/or their community
  5. demonstrate academic excellence through grades earned in their program
  6. be an Ontario resident, as per OSAP rules
  7. demonstrate financial need, as determined by the Financial Aid and Awards Service of the University of Ottawa

How to Apply

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

  1. the Financial Questionnaire
  2. a letter (500 words max.) describing how they have demonstrated commitment to Indigenous education and/or their community
  3. a copy of the applicant’s University transcript
  4. documented proof of Indigenous identity, in accordance with the requirements of the University of Ottawa Eligibility for Focused Admissions, Scholarships, and Bursaries for First Nations, Inuit, and Métis People administrative procedure

About this Award

During the 2007-2008 academic year, the Faculty of Education celebrated its 40th anniversary by honouring renowned Ontario educators. To do this, the Faculty established scholarships in their names to support and encourage students to pursue excellence while fulfilling the Faculty’s main goal of training educators and researchers of merit.

One such esteemed educator is Cheryll Duquette, a retired professor from the Faculty of Education. She established the Irene and William Duquette Faculty of Education Indigenous Scholarship in honour of her parents. The income generated by this fund will provide financial assistance to students whose education might otherwise be compromised and who enrol in the Faculty’s Teacher Education program, Formation à l’enseignement program, Indigenous Teacher Education Program (ITEP), or graduate programs.

Teachers can develop the full potential of their students by equipping them with the tools to succeed – a challenge that Cheryll Duquette finds extremely rewarding. As a conscientious and engaging professor and graduate supervisor in the Faculty of Education, Professor Duquette inspired novice teachers with her own enthusiasm for education and her willingness to connect with students. She has also been recognized nationally and internationally for her work on fetal alcohol spectrum disorder and inclusion. Professor Duquette worked with the Sioux Lookout District in 1997 to design the Aboriginal Teacher Education Program (now the Indigenous Teacher Education Program) and coordinated its delivery in other communities across Ontario. 

Professor Duquette thanks the Government of Ontario who helped create this fund through its generous matching contributions.