2018 Award Recipients - ILA Annual Closing Ceremony

ILA held its 15th Annual Closing Ceremony on Saturday, May 12, 2018 to celebrate students, Mentors/Tutors, and our funders.  This event was also attended by parents, academics, and various community members and organizations.  ILA was honored to have two guest speakers: Mr. Bryan Darrell, Director of Healthcare Project Services for the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal with the Provincial Government of Nova Scotia, and Ms. Bai Bintou Kaira, a Dalhousie University chemical engineering graduate and 2017 Governor's Award recipient and 3M National Student Fellow.  The event was sponsored by NSERC's Science Odyssey.

Several awards were presented to deserving students during the Ceremony [PDF - 110kB]:

Student of the Year Awards
Awarded to students who combine strong academic performance with exceptional participation in ILA program activities, i.e., After-School Program, FIRST LEGO League Program, Virtual School Program, and other initiatives.
Assessment Criteria:
  - Student must be nominated by ILA Program Staff
  - Strong program attendance and participation
  - Demonstrated commitment to program activities
  - Demonstrated strong interest in STEM subjects (Sciences, Mathematics)
  - Strong academic student

ILA-TD Opportunity Scholarships
A four-year renewable scholarship, made possible through a $1,000,000 endowment by TD Bank, valued at up to $5,000/yr, for ILA Program graduates entering a STEM-related program of study (e.g., Architecture, Engineering, Computer Sciences, Health Professions, Math) at Dalhousie University, Halifax.
Assessment Criteria:
  - Strong program attendance
  - Demonstrated commitment to program activities
  - Demonstrated strong interest in STEM subjects (Sciences, Mathematics)
  - Strong academic student

Summer Student Research Scholarships
These $6,500 scholarships are awarded to students of African heritage enrolled in full-time studies in sciences, health, or engineering at any university in Nova Scotia. Its purpose is provide science, health, and engineering-related research experience.
Assessment Criteria:
  - Enrolled in an undergraduate science or engineering program at a post-secondary institution in Nova Scotia.
  - Preference will be given to applicants who have participated, or intend to participate, in the Imhotep’s Legacy Academy.
  - Selection is based on a combination of academic performance (50%), research ability (30%) and leadership/community involvement (20%).
  - Cumulative GPA at the time of application in a science or engineering program of study of at least 3.0 is required.
  - Students must conduct their research under the guidance of a Dalhousie University faculty member

These $5,000 studentships are awarded to undergraduate students of African heritage who are confident that medical research will be part of their professional careers.  The goal of this studentship is to increase the number of African Nova Scotians in medicine by providing medically-related research experience.
Assessment Criteria:
- Enrolled at Dalhousie University and completed at least 2 years of an undergraduate program;
- Member of African Nova Scotian community or African Canadian;
- Demonstrate a serious interest in a future career in medicine or medical research;
- Quality of the student (research experience, skills, fit to the project);
- Potential contributions of the student