Eccellente! Italian Cultural Centre of Durham commits $90,500 to UOIT scholarships
January 12, 2010
Community group will raise money through fundraising to support local students who choose UOIT for their post-secondary education
OSHAWA, ON. - Durham Region secondary school students pursuing a degree from the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) received a financial boost today, thanks to a $90,500 donation from the Italian Cultural Centre of Durham (ICCD). ICCD's commitment to the university will create 11 undergraduate and five graduate scholarships for local students.
The gift will be matched by UOIT for undergraduate scholarships and an application will be made to the Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS) Program to match the funds for graduate students. All of this combined has the potential to bring the total scholarship amount to $207,500.
"On behalf of UOIT, I would like to extend a sincere thank you to the ICCD for their generosity and commitment to the university and the community," said Dr. William Smith, associate provost, Research and dean, Faculty of Science. "This gift will help numerous students pursue their academic aspirations and help them to excel in UOIT's leading-edge learning environment. We look forward to a long-lasting partnership with this dedicated community organization."
The ICCD scholarships will support outstanding undergraduate and graduate students across all faculties. A PhD scholarship and graduate student exchange with the Politecnico di Torino in Turin, Italy are also included within the graduate scholarship category. To qualify for the four-year renewable scholarships, undergraduate students must have achieved an academic average of 80 per cent and demonstrated positive contributions to the community. Undergraduate scholarships are renewed annually over a four-year study period for students who maintain a minimum 80 per cent average. Graduate students who have achieved an A-minus and who meet OGS requirements are eligible to apply for the scholarships and must re-apply each year.
"Our investments in young people recognize scholastic achievement, community involvement, and encourage Durham Region students to pursue their post-secondary education at UOIT," said Tony Rizzuto, chair, ICCD Scholarship Committee. "We anticipate that our scholarship winners will continue to excel and become the leaders of tomorrow."
The scholarships will be offered beginning Fall 2010.
More than $27,000 has already been raised for the scholarship fund based on proceeds from the ICCD Galileo Gala held in December. Over the next three years the centre will host a variety of fundraising events to help raise money for the scholarships.
"Congratulations to both the ICCD and UOIT for working together on this generous endeavour," said Dr. Gianni Bardini, Consul General, Consulate General of Italy in Toronto. "It gives me great pleasure to see the members of the Italian-Canadian community and their friends investing in the future and supporting education here in Durham Region."
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Media contact
Melissa Levy
Communications and Marketing
Ontario Tech University
905.721.8668 ext. 2513
289.928.0268
melissa.levy@uoit.ca
