Portuguese & Luso-Brazilian Studies at York University has partnered with Academia do Bacalhau de Toronto to offer a new student award.
With the sponsorship of Academia do Bacalhau de Toronto, the Portuguese & Luso-Brazilian Studies Entrance Award was created and aims at supporting incoming first-year students at York University who declare Portuguese & Luso-Brazilian Studies either as a BA or an honours minor.
This award recognizes the incoming program student who holds the highest grade point average in their secondary studies and demonstrates financial need. The recipient will receive an award of $1,000.
This award highlights the strong partnership between the program and community partners, and speaks to a close and productive relationship between the University and the Portuguese-speaking communities in Ontario.
In addition, the award reflects the program’s commitment to providing students with attractive and significant opportunities designed to motivate students to: invest and/or complement their postsecondary studies in the humanities, in the Lusofonia, with a focus on educating professionals with a clear edge in the labour force; and participate actively and creatively in both academic and community endeavours.
The program of Portuguese & Luso-Brazilian Studies (originally created in 2008 as Portuguese Studies) offers a wide range of courses within a rich interdisciplinary scope. Technology is used to aid student learning, and educational progress is monitored in a tailored and personalized manner.
Further, the program exposes students to a wide range of experiential education opportunities on and off campus. Some of these opportunities include: community placements, interactive cultural and academic events, as well as the inclusion of volunteer Portuguese speakers in our language courses. These speakers allow for a live interaction with the language, and they represent a wide variety of Portuguese-speaking backgrounds.
The Academia do Bacalhau de Toronto is a not-for-profit organization without any political or religious affiliations. The organization’s goals are to: invest, encourage and develop cooperation among its members and participants of its initiatives, regardless of background or education; promote contacts between a wide range of community associations and organizations; promote initiatives that focus on Portuguese culture and the legacy of immigrant/Portuguese-descendent communities; and fundraise for a diversity of educational and social causes. The Academia do Bacalhau, in accordance with its affiliates worldwide, represents one of the most active and prolific associative movements of the Portuguese diaspora.
For more information about the award, visit portuguese.dlll.laps.yorku.ca/students/scholarships-bursaries.