BCIC Young Innovator Scholarship

BCIC offers support to innovative and entrepreneurial Grade 12 students to enter full-time science, technology and business programs in the province's post-secondary institutions.

The intent of the program is to encourage students to continue their education in the province and pursue careers in British Columbia's advanced technology industries. The scholarships are valued at a minimum of $2,000. Through partnerships with the Northern Development Initiative Trust and the Southern Interior Development Initiative Trust, the value of the scholarship in the North and Southern Interior regions of B.C. is doubled to $4,000. The scholarships are awarded through two methods:

Science Fairs

The scholarship can be awarded through a school Science Fair at the senior level - Grades 11 and 12. The Science Fair is a competition for students who create original scientific research or innovative projects. The scholarship is awarded to students with top scores on the innovation criteria at a school science fair.

The Science Fair is administered by a committee at registered schools. To register for the Science Fair option, secondary schools must have a minimum of ten Grade 11 and 12 students participating and they are eligible to receive up to $750 to administer the Science Fair.

The Idea MashUp

The scholarship is awarded based on a student's innovation and entrepreneurship merit and their entry into the Idea MashUp competition. The competition challenges students to create the idea for a new technology by mashing together two or more current technologies. Proposals should describe the innovation, the process for how the student came up with the idea, and the use of the innovation. Idea MashUps can be presented in a variety of forms, especially digital media.

The competition is administered by a teachers' committee at registered schools or for students at non-registered schools, through a competition administered directly by BCIC. To register, secondary schools must have a minimum of ten Grade 12 students participating and they are eligible to receive up to $750 to administer the competition.

To be eligible to receive the scholarship through either a Science Fair or an Idea MashUp competition, a student must enroll in a B.C. post-secondary institution in one of the following programs:

science | technology | engineering | mathematics | digital arts+media+design | business entrepreneurship

Award Method: Registered schools will hold a Science Fair or an in-house Idea MashUp competition; students from non-registered schools can participate directly in a BCIC-administered Idea MashUp competition.

Award Length: Minimum one award per registered school, non-renewable

Award Value: $2,000+ per recipient

Annual Deadline: April 1, 2010 for registered schools and students

For application forms, visit http://www.bcic.ca/students/schools-k-12/scholarships-awards/bcic-young-innovator/36-scholarships-and-awards/138-bcic-young-innovator-scholarship