BlackNorth Initiative and U Sports announce Call for Applications for Athletes on Track Bursary Program September 22, 2022
TORONTO – BlackNorth Initiative (BNI) announced Thursday an open call for application to the Athletes on Track Program – a bursary and mentorship program led in conjunction with U Sports, designed to financially support University level student-athletes and supply them with the tools necessary to enter and thrive in the job market once they graduate.
For more information and to apply for the bursary, click HERE.
The deadline for applications October 17th, 2022.
About Athletes on Track Program:
Funded through BNI by Scotia Wealth Management, and Sherrard Kuzz LLP, the program consists of a $5,000 bursary which will be awarded to eight Black student-athletes. A mentor will also be provided to each student by BNI for support and guidance in general skills such as resume building and public speaking, as well as topics targeted more specifically to each student’s requirements.
The Athletes on Track program aims to provide a foundation for Black student-athletes to succeed on and off the field of play by teaching new skills and fostering lasting professional relationships through the BNI Connect Program. Each bursary recipient will be paired with mentors based on identified career aspirations.
Eligibility requirements
- The student-athlete must identify as Black (Afro-Caribbean, African Canadian, and/or racialized).
- The student-athlete must be enrolled at a Canadian University (U SPORTS).
- The student-athlete must demonstrate financial need.
- The student-athlete must be affiliated with a U SPORTS varsity team.
Previously awarded winners will be eligible to re-apply in the future for the bursary, should they continue to meet program requirements.
Financial Component
- $5,000 bursary awarded to eight (8) Black student-athletes (one male and one female / conference).
- Recipients are encouraged to use this money towards room and board or books, however, there is no restriction on what the bursary can go towards.
Mentorship Component
- Through the BNI Connect Program, each bursary recipient will be paired with mentors, based on identified career aspirations.
- Mentors will include senior leadership & community leaders from our signatories and community network across Canada.
- Designed to improve accessibility for the Black Community to employment, internships, and mentorship opportunities.
About BlackNorth Initiative
The BlackNorth Initiative is on a mission to end anti-Black systemic racism throughout all aspects of our lives by utilizing a business-first mindset. We are committed to the removal of anti-Black systemic barriers negatively affecting the lives of Black Canadians. For more information, visit: https://blacknorth.ca/ and follow us on social media @blacknorthca.
About U SPORTS
U SPORTS is the national brand for university sports in Canada. Every year, over 20,000 student-athletes and 900 coaches from 56 universities vie for 21 national championships in 12 different sports. U SPORTS also provides higher performance international opportunities for Canadian student-athletes at Winter and Summer Universiade, as well as numerous world university championships. For further information, visit USPORTS.ca.
For further information, please contact:
Zach Weese
Manager of Governance & Special Projects
U SPORTS
226-919-7335
zweese@usports.ca
John Bower
Director, Marketing and Communications
U SPORTS
780-667-5646
jbower@usports.ca
Shelton Mpala
Manager of Marketing and Communications
BlackNorth Initiative
437-997-7110
smpala@blacknorth.ca
Sagal Abdi
Program Manager
BlackNorth Initiative
437-997-6933
sabdi@blacknorth.ca
Tyler Mulligan
Coordinator, Creative Content
U SPORTS
226-500-6191
tmulligan@usports.ca
