Vimy Foundation accepting applications for 2020 Beaverbrook Vimy Prize

Applications are now being accepted for the 2020 Beaverbrook Vimy Prize, a two-week-long learning experience for youth ages 15 – 17 years old.

Scheduled to take place this upcoming August, recipients will tour Belgium and France attending lectures, visiting museums, cemeteries, and historical monuments such as the Canadian National Vimy Memorial.

Stella Begic, Programs Manager with the Vimy Foundation, says this program is important for Canadian youth to learn about Canada and its important role in history.

“The reason why it’s important for young people to participate in our programs is because they come to have a better understanding of how Canada became the country it is today, and it teaches them valuable critical thinking skills,” says Begic.

Established in 2006, the Beaverbrook Vimy Prize has sent over 180 students to Europe. Some of these high school students have gone on to speak at their school’s Remembrance Day ceremonies, address guests at Vimy Foundation events, and study history in university programs across the country.

Not only a great travel opportunity, but the prize also offers students a first-hand look at Canadian and world history. Many alumni will continue working to share their new knowledge and perspective of the First and Second World Wars with their peers, schools, and communities.

“They learn there are many perspectives from which history can be approached and as they are encouraged to explore multiple angles of the Wars, says Begic. “They also get to learn about many aspects of war that is rarely taught in classrooms, whether that be the treatment of colonists during the Wars, the environmental impact of the Wars, or individual stories of soldiers and nursing sisters, to name just a few.”

Applicants are required to:

-Submit a research essay and a short reflection on a specified work of art, a resume, and a personal statement video;
-Applicants must also submit one letter of reference from a teacher, guidance counselor, or principal, a representative from a service club, community, provincial or federal organization, etc.

A total of 16 prizes will be awarded, with 14 open to Canadian students, one to a British student, and one French student.

Applications are being accepted until March 1, 2020.

For more information or to apply, visit here.