Awards Policy & Procedure

Each year, the Ontario First Nations Technical Services Corporation presents the annual Student Achievement Awards to First Nations students who are currently enrolled in a STEM related program at an accredited college or university.

This year, five awards will be presented, each valued at $2,000. The Derrick Kamanga Memorial Award is presented to a First Nations student studying engineering in the area of water and wastewater. The Robert Olivier Memorial Award is presented to a student studying engineering in any specialization (civil, mechanical, chemical). New this year, and in memory of our late beloved board member, we are introducing the Jay Benedict Memorial Award, which will be given to a student who is completing their studies in the area of architecture/housing.

In addition to the memorial awards, OFNTSC also gives out two general Student Achievement awards to First Nations students who are studying environmental sciences/technology, mathematics, or any other STEM-related technical career that will help build self-reliance in First Nations communities.

Each award consists of an honorarium worth $2,000 and an invitation to attend a special OFNTSC event (all expenses paid) to accept the Award in person.

Eligibility

To be eligible, candidates must:

  • be enrolled in an accredited college or university program in the related science, technology, engineering or math fields;
  • have a high academic standing in the program, with an average of 80% or higher;
  • not be a previous recipient of the award within the past two years;
  • be a member of a First Nation community in Ontario (proof required)

Nomination Procedure

  1. Students can nominate themselves or have a friend/family member nominate them;
  2. Completed nomination forms, along with all supplemental materials, must be sent to OFNTSC’s Communications Manager by 11:59 p.m. (PT) on Friday, July 10, 2020;
  3. Applicants will be screened by a committee consisting of OFNTSC staff;
  4. Chosen applicants will be notified via email, no later than July 31, 2020;
  5. Recipients will have 5 business days to acknowledge receipt of the email and acceptance of the award. If they do not respond within this time frame, another student may be chosen for the award.

Selection Process for the Award

  1. The Selection Committee’s responsibility shall be to annually select the recipients for the award, in accordance with the eligibility requirements;
  2. The Selection Committee is comprised of OFNTSC Operational/Technical Managers;
  3. The Selection Committee will screen all applications for awards and make its selection of the recipients of the awards and forward these to the Executive Director;
  4. The Executive Director shall report the results to the Board of Directors.

Criteria

  1. Must meet the eligibility requirements;
  2. The student with the highest academic standing in the year prior to the award year among all nominees will be selected, and;
  3. Students that have demonstrated an interest in working for First Nations technical organizations will be given additional consideration.

Required Documents

  • Proof of First Nation or Métis ancestry (photocopy of the front and back of status card);
  • Official Transcripts from your present or most recent academic program;
  • Completed/signed application package.