Today, the governments of Canada and Saskatchewan announced that applications are now being accepted for the 2024 Agriculture Student Scholarship Program. The scholarship amounts have increased this year to $6,000 for the top recipient, as well as three runner-up scholarships of $3,000 each.
“Jobs in agriculture and agri-food can include positions on farms, in processing, in research and much more,” said Lawrence MacAulay, federal Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food. “I encourage students and young people across Canada to consider careers in these rewarding fields to help feed your future, Canada and the world.”
“This scholarship is an investment into the future of the agriculture industry,” Saskatchewan Agriculture Minister David Marit said. “By empowering agriculture education, we are cultivating a generation of innovators, stewards of the land and champions of sustainability who will nourish both our fields and our world for generations to come.”
This year’s theme is farming and environmental sustainability. Applicants of the scholarship are encouraged to explore the idea of environmental sustainability within farming and the importance of public perception on modern farming practices. The scholarship encourages conversations about where our food comes from and how everyone along the value chain shares a role in communicating about food production.
“I am beyond grateful that this scholarship is allowing me to turn my passion into my career,” 2023 Agriculture Student Scholarship grand prize winner Caitlyn Spratt said.
Students are invited to submit a creative three-minute video or 1,000-word essay discussing farming and the environment. Scholarships will be awarded to Saskatchewan students in Grade 12 and/or recent high school/GED graduates entering agriculture-related post-secondary studies in fall 2024.
The deadline for applications is March 1, 2024. For more information on the Agriculture Student Scholarship Program, visit saskatchewan.ca/ag-scholarship.
This award is funded through the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership, a five-year, $3.5 billion investment by Canada’s federal, provincial and territorial governments that supports Canada’s agri-food and agri-products sectors. This includes $1 billion in federal programs and activities and a $2.5 billion commitment cost-shared 60 per cent federally and 40 per cent provincially/territorially for programs designed and delivered by provinces and territories.
(Government of Saskatchewan news release)
