Safety scholarship competition opens

The Canada Safety Council is now accepting applications for the Sarah Beth Therien Memorial Scholarship.

The annual $2,500 scholarship is in honour of Sarah Beth Therien, a long-time employee of the Canada Safety Council and a passionate advocate for child and traffic safety. Sarah made medical history in 2006 as the first Canadian organ donor after cardiac death. Her medical legacy has gone on to save hundreds of lives so far, a number that continues to grow week after week.

The award is also intended to raise the profile of safety in the minds of young Canadians.

“Education is an integral part of safety,” said Jack Smith, president of the Canada Safety Council. “We’re very happy to be able to encourage and support young Canadians in the pursuit of higher learning. We trust that our scholarship will spur creative safety initiatives across Canada.”

The competition is open to graduating high school students entering their first year of post-secondary studies. Current undergraduate and college students are also eligible to apply.

Applicants must clearly describe initiatives they undertook to improve safety in their community or at home, school, or work. The initiatives must have demonstrated results that can be verified by references.

The application form for the Sarah Beth Therien Memorial Scholarship is now available. The application deadline is June 15, 2014.

Last year’s competition saw 34 applications from across the country. Cheryl Joseph of Oakville, ON, was recognized for her exceptional leadership in safety-oriented efforts. Ms. Joseph initiated and organized a one-day event at her high school with 17 different workshops and keynote speakers to educate students on personal safety topics – including cyber-bullying, mental health, eating disorders, self-harm and sexual assault – that school curriculums are often unable to adequately address.

The Canada Safety Council is an independent, knowledge-based, charitable organization dedicated to the cause of safety. We are a not-for-profit, non-government organization that provides national leadership in safety through information, education and collaboration. We are Canada’s voice and resource for safety.

Our goal is to award the scholarship annually. If you are interested in supporting the Canada Safety Council with this initiative, please contact our office at (613) 739-1535 ext. 221.

Good luck to our applicants!

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For more information, please contact:
Catherine Gaudreau
Communications/Media Program Coordinator, Canada Safety Council
(613) 739-1535 (ext. 228)