Mi’kmaw Services Division is pleased to pass along this information on behalf of our colleagues in the Early Years Branch of Education and Early Childhood Development:
It is critical that children and families see themselves in the early childhood education (ECE) programs they access. It is also recognized that training opportunities must be available to individuals from Mi’kmaq, Acadian/Francophone, African Nova Scotian and Newcomer/Immigrant communities.
The Early Years Branch of the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development is committed to increasing cultural representation in the early childhood education workforce and have created the Bursary Program Promoting Cultural Representation in Early Childhood Education to attract individuals from these communities to participate in early childhood education training leading to employment in the ECE field in Nova Scotia.
Program Description:
The bursary provides financial support to residents of Nova Scotia who are members of Mi’kmaq and other Indigenous, African Nova Scotian, Acadian/Francophone and Newcomer/Immigrant (temporary foreign workers and international students do not qualify for this program) communities who are interested in pursuing a career in early childhood education (ECE) at one of the of the approved training institutions that deliver the program.
Each applicant may qualify for up to a maximum of $5,500.00 for tuition, fees and required text books for each year, to maximum of two years, of attendance at the ECE diploma training institution. The Bursary is available for the 2018/2019 and 2019/2020 school years.
To be eligible for the Bursary, the applicant must meet the following requirements:
- be a resident of Nova Scotia
- identify as Mi’kmaq or other Indigenous ancestry, African Nova Scotian, Acadian/Francophone or a Newcomer/Immigrant to Nova Scotia (temporary foreign workers and international students do not qualify for this program);
- be enrolled as a full-time student in an approved full-time ECE diploma program.
- pre-register for the Bursary program by August 1, 2018
- submit an application for the Bursary once a year for each year of study in the diploma program by the required deadline.
For more details on the bursary and to apply, please go to https://www.ednet.ns.ca/earlyyears/pd/CulturalBursary.shtml.