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DFC HERE FOR TOMORROW Scholarship

You have the power to build a sustainable future.

Food is, and always will be, necessary. Those who produce food and make sure it’s on the plates of Canadians, and people around the world, will forever be essential workers. Right now, agriculture doesn't have enough people to fill these food-producing jobs. Agriculture careers are as abundant as they are important. 

And the best news of all? The career opportunities out there are exciting, dynamic, and evolving. Agriculture needs people from all backgrounds, with different skill sets and perspectives, to work in this crucial industry. It needs people like you to thinkAG

Agriculture in the Classroom Canada (AITC-C) and Dairy Farmers of Canada (DFC) believe the future of agriculture and food is bright - because you will be part of it. We want this scholarship to invigorate and equip you, the next generation of leaders and change-makers, with the understanding and belief that you have the power to make informed, sustainable food choices and career decisions. 

This scholarship is not about grades or transcripts – it’s about discovering what sustainability means to you and your future. By applying for the DFC Here for Tomorrow Scholarship, you can contribute to a more sustainable tomorrow! 

DFC_Scholarship_CLR (2) 2

The dairy sector has a long history of environmental stewardship, and farmers have always passed these values on to the next generation. DFC’s goal to become carbon neutral by 2050 will only be met through the combined sustainability efforts of dairy farmers of today – and tomorrow. We hope that this scholarship will embolden students to consider a career in agriculture and become stewards of the land, helping to care for our planet and feed our nation for years to come.

Pierre Lampron
President, Dairy Farmers of Canada (DFC)

5

scholarships for

$3,000

each

3 CREATIVE submission options

Apply with: written essay, video, OR visual arts piece

Pick an agriculture & food

CAREER

that interests you & outline how it can impact

SUSTAINABILITY

Deadline:

May 1, 2023

at 11:59PM CST

Swipe

IMPORTANT DETAILS

What do winners receive?

  • $3,000 CAD cash award to put towards future schooling or a sustainability initiative you may have in mind
  • Bragging rights!

Who is eligible to apply?

  • Any student attending a Canadian high school
  • Must be in Grades 10-12 (Secondary 4-5 in Quebec)

NOTE: Employees and immediate family members of DFC and AITC-C are not eligible to apply.

What are the required elements?

All applicants must:

  • Sign a Media Consent & Release Form
  • Complete an Idea Generation Form
  • Submit an Application Form (which includes uploaded Media Form & scholarship submission)

What is the evaluation process?

Applications that meet all submission requirements will be reviewed by a selection committee made up of agriculture and food industry representatives and academic professionals. This committee will judge the applications based on the following assessment criteria:

  • The quality of the applicant's answers to the submission questions - see SUBMISSION QUESTIONS (worth 80%)
  • Expression - the process of making known one's thoughts or feelings (worth 10%)
  • Professionalism - the skill, good judgement, and polite behavior that is expected from a person who is trained to do a job well (worth 10%)

How and when will winners be notified?

All scholarship applicants will be notified as to their success via email by June 31, 2023. Successful scholarship recipients will be contacted by phone or email, and provided a congratulatory letter.

Who do I contact if I have questions or need help?

Please email AITC-C's thinkAG Project Coordinator, Morgan MacTavish, at mmactavish@aitc-canada.ca. Morgan will respond to you in 2-3 business days. 

HOW TO APPLY

Follow these steps to make sure you've completed everything you need to in order to be eligible to win a scholarship. 

STEP 1: Learn About thinkAG

Take some time to explore the thinkAG website to get a better understanding of why agriculture and food is an exciting world of opportunity for learning and working!

STEP 2: Review the Terms & Conditions

Make sure to read through all the details on this scholarship!

STEP 3: Take the Holland Code Career Test to discover your interest area(s).

Holland Codes, otherwise known as the RIASEC system, help to classify jobs into six categories, interests, or personalities.  

Uncovering your top interest area is the only way you can answer the application questions! 

Your scores will involve one or more of the following categories: Build (Realistic), Think (Investigative), Create (Artistic), Help (Social), Persuade (Enterprising), Organize (Conventional).

In the event of a tie, where you have more than one top interest area, you can choose whichever area you feel best suits you.

STEP 5: Complete the Idea Generation Form

This is a handy tool to help you brainstorm, plan, and map out your submission. Once completed, you will automatically be sent a copy of your form with all your information filled out. The information collected will help in your scholarship submission process - and can also be used for your future career exploration journey!

Be sure to provide thoughtful answers to all questions as this information may be used in the case of a tie-breaker for top applicants. 

STEP 6: Research!

Explore AITC-C's snapAG resource library (or any other scholarly information) to help prepare submission question #3 (see Step 7). snapAG is a series of scholarly factsheets about hot topics affecting the agriculture and food industry.

Browse through each of the topics or input key words into the search bar. You can also see related snapAG sheets by visiting the Helpful Links section at the bottom of each individual career profile.

STEP 7: Answer 3 Questions

  1. Which Holland Code(s) or interest area(s) does your chosen career fit into? [Options include: Build, Think, Create, Help, Persuade, Organize]
  2. How does this career align with your interests?
  3. How can this career positively impact sustainability, both locally and globally?

Prompt Ideas: 

  • Does this career help advance environmental efforts, like climate change and carbon neutrality?
  • Does this career enhance eco-friendly agriculture?
  • How does this career make a difference in making local and seasonal foods available?
  • Does this career work to increase food security or nutrition awareness?
  • Does this career boost food accessibility?

STEP 8: Pick Your Submission Option

This scholarship is all about showing your individual creativity! You have 3 different options as to how you can present your answers to the submission questions:

  1. Write an essay (1,500 words maximum)
  2. Produce a video (3 minutes maximum)
  3. Create a visual arts piece (with 300-word description)

Visual arts include: ceramics, drawing, painting, sculpture, graphic design, design, crafts, photography, and architecture

STEP 10: Complete the Application Form

Do you have your submission ready to go? Awesome! It's time to complete the final step of the application process.

You will need to upload your Media Consent & Release Form at this step.

FOR TEACHERS: Classroom Project Option

The DFC Here for Tomorrow Scholarship provides a unique option for teachers to use the application journey as a career-education opportunity and meet learning outcomes.

Submissions are to be completed independently by students, but teachers can support and encourage their students throughout the application process by assigning it as a classroom project for course evaluation or extra credit. 

By providing guidance in the classroom, you can empower students to think big picture and inspire them to make plans for a sustainable and meaningful future.

Why participate in the classroom project: 

  • All materials and instructions are included; limited prep time required
  • Meet learning outcomes and sharpen students' transferable skills
  • Provide students an opportunity to win $$!

Estimated delivery time: Five 60-minute classes (additional time may be required)

Encourage winning students to use the scholarship for:

  • Supplies for passion projects
  • Career exploration resources
  • Costs of personal and professional development
  • Covering costs of tuition at any Canadian post-secondary institution

Skills development:

  • Verbal and written communications
  • Critical and creative thinking
  • Technological proficiencies
  • Problem solving
  • Research

 

Background

What is the purpose of this scholarship?

The DFC Here for Tomorrow Scholarship is a national program built to reward Canadian high school students who are interested in pursuing a career in agriculture. Serving as a pillar within DFC's “Here for Tomorrow” sustainability initiative, the objectives of this program are to:

  • Encourage students to consider a career in agriculture
  • Help students think critically about their food choices
  • Showcase agriculture and food to a wider audience
  • Provide students with a unique perspective on how to make a difference, creating a sustainable future both locally and nationally

Why was this scholarship created?

The DFC Here for Tomorrow Scholarship was developed to inspire Canadian youth to play an active role in contributing to a more sustainable tomorrow. The Scholarship encourages career exploration in agriculture by providing students with unique perspectives on how to make an impact in sustainable farming both locally and nationally. 


Why is it important to give this opportunity to Canadian students?

To support sustainability initiatives currently underway in Canada, it is important to consider how these practices will be sustained and advanced in the future. This scholarship aims to educate Canadian youth on the impact they can have on a more sustainable future by informing, empowering, and equipping them with the knowledge and skills to think critically about their food choices and career decisions. 


Ready to build a better tomorrow?

Scholarship Deadline: May 1, 2023 at 11:59PM CST

SUBMIT APPLICATION NOW!

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