Exploring the Impacts of a Community-Based Post-Secondary Education Award

Canadian community foundations significantly support post-secondary institutions and students in their provision of merit and needs based awards and bursaries. Yet little is known about the impacts of these investments for students. The Edmonton Community Foundation has partnered with UAlberta (Community Service-Learning) and the Edmonton Social Planning Council (ESPC) to explore the impacts of a specific ECF Awards program for low-income and civically engaged students. Beginning with the 2018 group of award winners, the study will track these students as they enter higher education, take their courses and engage in other socially minded and career oriented activities, and transition into various forms of employment. Researchers will connect with the participants using interviews, surveys and focus groups, at four points of time across 2019-2025: during their studies, upon graduation or withdrawal, at six months after graduation and at two years after graduation. The study will compare the characteristics of those students who won awards to those who did not, and also visually map the journeys of participant students from home to school to post-secondary institution to employment sites.

Faculty Supervisor:

David Peacock

Student:

Oscar Javier Baron Ruiz

Partner:

Discipline:

Geography / Geology / Earth science

Sector:

Other services (except public administration)

University:

University of Alberta

Program: