Sisler nets 19 film school scholarships

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This article was published 16/02/2022 (1319 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A record number of full scholarships to Vancouver Film School are being distributed to students at Winnipeg’s Sisler High School.

For the third year in a row, the B.C. film school and Schroeder Foundation have partnered to provide young creatives enrolled in Sisler’s entertainment arts training program, known as CREATE, with post-secondary education grants.

A single recipient received a full scholarship in 2020 as part of the collaboration.

On Wednesday, the partners surprised 19 students with the funding news at a socially distanced event at Sisler, the largest high school in the Winnipeg School Division, that was livestreamed.

The new scholarships provide students with “a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to pursue their dreams at a prestigious school,” said Jamie Leduc, CREATE department head, in a prepared release.

“It’s incredibly heartening, and very emotional, for me to watch these students achieve their potential.”

Combined, the scholarships are valued at more than $500,000, for students to pursue post-secondary education in the fields of animation, visual effects and game programming.

The Schroeder Foundation, which has a history of supporting youth initiatives, the Sisler CREATE program included, covers 60 per cent of each prize. The film school covers the remaining 40 per cent of the scholarship price tag.

More than 80 students from Sisler have received scholarships to study at VFS over the past five years.