Pathways

The Pathways program runs from May to August. The competitive program offers a stipend to students ($8000) to complete a summer project of their design, in a rural or Indigenous community of Alberta.

Projects will be created and designed by students in collaboration with stakeholders in their home community. Possibilities for project types will vary depending on applicant interest and their rural town. In some cases, Student Academic Services will be able to leverage our previous relationships curated through experiential opportunities.

There is an application process restricted to students who have completed their third or fourth year (e.g., recent graduates). Typically, this means students must have completed at least 84 credits at the university level. Successful applicants should have a well defined project at the time of application.

Keep up to date on our Pathways scholars as they document their summers via our Pathways to Rural Alberta Blog.

Requirements & Standards

Students will (at least) need to

1. complete a brief 500 word essay outlining their interest in the program, including a description of the project they hope to implement in their rural community;
2. be in good academic and financial standing with the University of Alberta;
3. provide one academic reference and one work or character reference;
4. be willing to relocate to a rural Alberta town for the duration of the internship;
5. provide permission for applicant reviewers to access their unofficial student transcripts. In cases where these are not from the University of Alberta, students will need to provide these.

Deadlines

The deadline for application is January 10, 2025. We will hold candidate interviews shortly thereafter and notify successful applicants in February.

 

Tips for applicants

• Where possible, identify a need in your home community you'd like to address.
• Identify who you may work with (organizations or individuals.)
• While the project proposals for the applications do not need to be complete, you should be able to provide an outline including what the project is, why it's important for your community, and how it will leverage your strengths.
• Attend an info session in the Fall semester - look for announcements for dates and times, or contact augsas@ualberta.ca
• Speak with Jayla Lindberg in Student Academic Services for support in developing your community summer project and for advice on how to approach stakeholders.