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Tanya Fir, Minister of Arts, Culture and Status of Women. (Photo: Government of Alberta)

Alberta introduces new scholarship to support women in technical and applied arts

Sep 5, 2024 | 11:53 AM

The Government of Alberta is encouraging women to get an education in fields that generally underrepresent women.

It was announced on September 4, 2024, that there will be three post-secondary academic scholarships given to women this upcoming school year. Two of those have already been introduced, The Women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Scholarship and the Persons Case Scholarship.

The third scholarship, however, is being newly introduced – the Women in Technical and Applied Arts Scholarship.

Tanya Fir, Minister of Arts, Culture and Status of Women says, “By breaking down barriers and making education more accessible and affordable through these scholarships, Alberta’s government is helping to ensure women have every opportunity to pursue fulfilling, high-paying careers of their choice.”

The Women in STEM Scholarship gives away $2,500 and has been around for four years. It aims to really encourage women to enter Alberta’s STEM industries.

The Persons Case Scholarship also awards $2,500 and has been offered to women for the last 45 years. It is supposed to help women enter industries that advance gender equality.

The Government awarded a total of $225,000 through these two scholarships this past school year (2023-24), supporting 90 women.

This new scholarship – the Women in Technical and Applied Arts Scholarship – will be awarding $2,500 and is the first provincially-funded scholarship of its kind in Canada. Its purpose is to encourage Alberta-based women who are pursuing careers in things such as the technical arts, music production, film and television.

Provost and vice-president at the University of Calgary, Dr Sandra Davidson, states, “These invaluable investments not only empower the next generation of female leaders but also strengthen the foundation of our society by fostering gender equity and opportunity in education.”

For more information on these scholarships, you can visit Alberta’s web page for awards and scholarships.

READ MORE: Lethbridge News Now.

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