Innovation Fall 2024

COMMUNI T Y

hands-on challenges. I am grateful for the opportunities it afforded me.” While the Foundation’s awards are beneficial and have increased in value over the years, they have not kept pace with the cost of education and living for students. The cost of tuition, supplies, rent, and food have risen exponentially in the last five years. Tuition alone for most engineering and geoscience programs in BC universities and technical institutions is $3,000 to $4,000 per term. On average, students pay up to $40,000 per year for tuition and associated living expenses. The Foundation’s fundraising goal To reduce the financial barriers associated with engineering and geoscience education, the Foundation aims to increase the value of the awards from an average of $2,500 per award to $5,000. The Foundation is appealing to registrants to help reach this goal. The Foundation currently has a fund of about $1 million. The goal is to raise $2 million per year for the next three years, so that the Foundation can increase the minimum value of each award to $5,000 and move toward endowing each of the awards. Ultimately, the Foundation would like to award $10,000 scholarships to the top engineering and geoscience students in BC. This allows the Foundation to make a more meaningful contribution to the cost of each award recipient’s annual tuition and cost of living. The Foundation’s beginnings In the early 1990s, a group of engineers and geoscientists founded the Engineers and Geoscientists BC Foundation to promote education

Engineers and Geoscientists BC Foundation Chartered in 1993 Average number of awards per year: approximately 50 Average Value of Total Annual awards: > $80,000

in engineering and geoscience through bursaries and scholarships. Since the Foundation was officially chartered in 1994, its volunteer board of directors has awarded millions of dollars in scholarships to thousands of engineering and geoscience students in BC. Award recipients have included high school, undergraduate, and graduate students. The scholarship recipients have gone on to have rewarding careers in engineering and geoscience, contributing to communities and the economy. Dr. John Clague, P.Geo., Chair of the Foundation Board, says, “Our awards were modest when the Foundation was established — $100 to $1,000 per award — and we only offered a few awards.” Today, thanks to the generosity of donors, including engineers and geoscientists, as well as organizations and members of the public, the Foundation has expanded the number and value of awards distributed. Annually, the Foundation awards an average of 50 scholarships and bursaries, with most of the awards valued at $2,500. Over the years, registrants, donors, partners, organizations, and Engineers and Geoscientists BC branches have established and funded other bursaries and scholarships.

Innovation Fall 2024

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