Valour Canada History & Heritage Scholarship
2023-24
The 2023-24 VCHHS contest opens on January 1, 2024.
Note that the contest is currently undergoing a redesign, so watch for new rules & regulations upon launch in 2024.
Winners of the 2022-23 contest will be announced this autumn.
To download a PDF copy of the rules and eligibility requirements, please click HERE
To download a PDF copy of the RUBRIC, please click HERE
To see the submissions of past winners, please scroll down to below the picture.
The aim of Valour Canada’s History and Heritage Scholarship is to support Canadian senior high school students in their post-secondary educational pursuits in an engaging, thought-provoking, and memorable manner. The student who creates the best essay and video response to the question provided below will be awarded a $1,500 scholarship to be put towards their post-secondary education. The runner-up will receive a $750 scholarship.
Students must create and submit the following three items to be eligible for the scholarship:
- A one or two paragraph introductory document that explains why you chose to apply for Valour Canada’s History and Heritage Scholarship. This will not be evaluated.
- A typed essay (with title page) that responds to the question provided below. Your essay will be evaluated. Submitted essays should be 6 – 8 pages in length (not including bibliography or title page), double spaced, and with page numbers inserted. Footnotes, citations, and references should be included as per the Chicago-style formatting requirements. Your title page should include essay title, name, date of birth, town/city, school, and date.
- A 3 – 5 minute YouTube-compatible video that educates viewers about your chosen memorial or monument and covers the answer you provided in your essay. Your video should close with a still- screen showing your references (see note immediately below).
Note: Regarding the video submission, applicants can provide a link to a Dropbox folder, Google drive, or similar, that holds the finished video file (MAKE SURE TO SAVE YOUR VIDEO AT A HIGH RESOLUTION, but please smaller than 1 GB). The introductory document and the essay must be emailed as .doc or .pdf documents.
Deadline and Eligibility:
All 3 items must be received by email to Valour Canada by 23:59, June 12th, 2024 (EST). If after all evaluations are completed your entry is found to deserve an award, a potential winner must provide a signed ELIGIBILITY & LIABILITY/PUBLICITY RELEASE, proof of age, and proof of enrolment. (For more on eligibility requirements, please refer to the “Eligibility Package”).
Evaluation Criteria:
A submission’s final grade consists of the essay score (75% of final grade) and the video score (25% of final grade).
Please ensure that Chicago style referencing and citations are employed for any resources used in your response. Use THIS TOOL (http://www.citationmachine.net/chicago). Plagiarism is unacceptable and will result in disqualification.
The Essay Question:
Answer the following question and write your response in essay format. Your response should reference at least two of Valour Canada’s six pillars of character (communication, cooperation, courage, responsibility, resilience, thoughtfulness).
Visit a local Canadian war memorial or monument and analyze its historical context, significance, and current meaning. Finish with a brief discussion about the role of Canadian war memorials in the 21st century.
Good luck!!
Fernie’s war monument, dedicated by Lord Byng in 1922, was “erected to perpetuate our honoured dead and those who carried on in the Great War from Fernie and District (Credit: Veterans.gc.ca; pxfuel.com).
