An organization trying to award $2,500 to an NWT healthcare student who can speak French says it hasn’t found a suitable applicant, just days from the deadline.
Francophone healthcare non-profit Réseau TNO Santé awards the scholarship to a French-speaking student who has spent at least some time learning in the Northwest Territories, and who is currently enrolled in a health program in English.
However, Adeline Vette – Réseau TNO Santé’s project coordinator – said no such student has yet come forward, with the deadline of April 24 fast approaching.
“We have had only one student apply, and that person never studied in the NWT – they can’t get the scholarship,” Vette said. “It was an awesome application, she was awesome, but she needed to have at least one year in the NWT.
Advertisement.
Advertisement.
“I think the pandemic didn’t help us. Then we also have a small community, people don’t know us a lot. It’s hard to reach people sometimes.”
The scholarship is part of Franco Doc, run by the national Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada.
Franco Doc is designed to help develop French-speaking healthcare in Canada’s francophone minority communities, such as those in the Northwest Territories.
“We want to bring more francophone healthcare workers here,” said Vette. “We are looking to help students get a scholarship and come back to the NWT to work here.
Advertisement.
Advertisement.
“We would love them to come back so we could have more supports in French in healthcare services.”
To be eligible for the scholarship, students must be able speak and write in French and have completed at least one academic year in the NWT in French.
However, they must now be studying a health program at an English-language Canadian university.
If you qualify or know someone who does, you can apply via the Réseau TNO Santé website.
