VCHH Scholarship

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:

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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).

VCHHSwinners

Past Winners of Valour Canada’s History & Heritage Scholarship

 

Winners in 2021-2022

Iqra Jamil

– First Place –

Hometown:  Calgary, AB
High School:  Calgary Islamic School Akram Jomma
University:  University of Calgary
Topic:  The South African War Memorial

EssayThe South African War Memorial: An Evolving Identity

Minnie Deng

– Second Place –

Hometown:  Guelph, ON
High School:  Guelph Collegiate Vocational Institute
University:  University of Alberta
Topic:  The Memorials of GCVI

EssayThe Memorials of Guelph Collegiate Vocational Institute

To view the other award-winning videos from 2021-22, click HERE and view videos 13-18.

Winners in 2020-2021

Katie Roy

– First Place –

Hometown:  Vancouver, BC
High School:  Vancouver Technical Secondary
University:  University of British Columbia
Topic:  Japanese Canadian War Memorial

EssayThe Japanese Canadian War Memorial: The Struggle for Enfranchisement and Recognition in Canada

Jonathan Babcock

– Second Place –

Hometown:  Seeley’s Bay, ON
High School:  Virtual Learning Centre
University:  TBD
Topic:  National Aboriginal Veterans Monument

EssayLest We Forget: Remembering the Contributions and Sacrifices of Indigenous Veterans

To view the other award-winning videos from 2020-21, click HERE.

Winners in 2019-2020

G.E. Small

– First Place –

Hometown:  Barrie, ON
High School:  Bear Creek Secondary School
University:  Huron University College
Topic:  Barrie Cenotaph

Essay: The Barrie Cenotaph: The Monument, and its Modern Implications  (Biblio here)

Sophia Andia

– Second Place –

Hometown:  Ottawa, ON
High School:  Colonel By Secondary School
University:  University of Ottawa
Topic:  National War Memorial

Essay: The Cold Stone of the Past and the Flourishing Flowers of the Future: An Analysis of the National War Memorial

To view the other award-winning videos from 2019-20, click HERE.

Valour Canada’s History and Heritage Scholarship: Rules and Regulations

The following rules and regulations apply and are in accordance with Section 74.06 of Canada’s Competition Act, Section 206 of Canada’s Criminal Code, and Canada’s Copyright Act:

  1. The Valour Canada History and Heritage Scholarship (VCHHS) contest is open to all Canadian citizens or permanent residents residing in Canada, excluding residents of Quebec, who are younger than 20 years old prior to 11:59 PM (EST), June 30, 2024. There will not be regional allocation of scholarships. No purchase necessary for contest entry.
  2. Eligible persons must not have attended a post-secondary education institution at any time between September 1, 2023 and August 14, 2024.
  3. VCHHS entries must be emailed to our Educator and must be received by Valour Canada before 11:59 PM (EST), June 12, 2024.
  4. Submitted entries will be evaluated based on the criteria described in VCHHS Rubric: Essay and in the VCHHS Rubric: Video. Valour Canada educators will select the best 12 – 15 submissions which will then be provided to Valour Canada’s Education Subcommittee for final assessment that will determine a winner, a runner-up, and the 3rd through 6th best submissions.
  5. One VCHHS winner and one runner-up will be chosen and awarded as follows: VCHHS winner will receive a $1,500 scholarship and the runner-up will receive a $750 scholarship. Both will be notified via email before 11:59 PM (EST), August 7, 2024. The creator of each of the 3rd through 6th best submissions will be awarded $200. They will be notified via email before 11:59 PM (EST), August 28, 2024.
  6. All 6 winning videos will be added to Valour Canada’s documentary library, then posted on our website and our YouTube page. We will reference each video’s creator in the description for each respective video.
  7. Chance of winning the VCHHS scholarship or an award will depend on the number of entries and the quality of the submission.
  8. A skill testing question must be answered correctly by all winners and all winners will be responsible for any tax incurred by their award. Awards will be mailed to the winners to be received before October 16, 2024.
  9. Winners who do not respond via phone or email within 5 days of being contacted, who do not answer the skill testing question correctly, who cannot show proof of attendance at a post-secondary education institution on a full-time basis for the upcoming academic year, who cannot show proof of age, or who do not sign our “ELIGIBILITY & LIABILITY/PUBLICITY RELEASE” will be disqualified and the scholarship will be awarded to the next in line as per the criteria outlined above.
  10. The “ELIGIBILITY & LIABILITY/PUBLICITY RELEASE” outlines that each scholarship winner consents to Valour Canada’s use of their name, address (town/city and province only), and submitted materials without further compensation.
  11. Valour Canada is not responsible for any complications negatively affecting any scholarship contest entries or any other errors or negligence that may arise in connection with this scholarship contest.
  12. Valour Canada also retains full rights to the administering of the scholarship contest according to the law and retains the right to terminate the scholarship contest at any time and without notice.