Bundaberg Region Youth Scholarship Awards

Bundaberg Region Youth Scholarship Award winners Taliah Reynolds, Patrick Young, Anna Harris, Lauren Bloomfield, Atyaf Awad and Christian Lane-Krebs with members of the Advisory Group and Mayor Jack Dempsey.

Bundaberg Regional Council has announced the winners of its inaugural Bundaberg Region Youth Scholarship Awards (BRYSA) at a breakfast event at the Multiplex on Tuesday 5 September.

Out of 31 nominees, seven successful recipients received scholarships, in the amount of $2,000 for each student.

The winners were:

• Atyaf Awad
• Lauren Bloomfield
• Mackenzie Blackburn
• Anna Harris
• Christian Lane-Krebs
• Taliah Reynolds
• Patrick Young

The scholarships provide financial support for youth from the region who are passionate about their education.

Local businesses were invited to support the awards through monetary contributions or in-kind contributions of support services.

Yourtown and Coral Coast Physiotherapy supported at gold level, providing $1,000 each to co-sponsor a scholarship.

All 31 nominees were provided with career counselling sessions valued at almost $150, and a list of youth supports and resources they can access as needed.

Mayor Jack Dempsey said all the nominations showed resilience and a determination for education that was inspiring.

“The Bundaberg Region is known for many things, but perhaps we are best known for our strong sense of community spirit,” he said.

“It is wonderful that we can help support and empower our young people as they are working towards their qualifications and further learning.

“I am also grateful to the local businesses who have gotten on board and supported the scholarships with funding and mentoring opportunities.”

Young people could nominate themselves for the scholarship or be nominated by another person.

The program was open to nominees aged 15 to 24, with the scholarships awarded based on merit by an Advisory Group made up of representatives from Youth Services Bundaberg, Link & Launch, CQUniversity and Bundaberg Regional Council.

Read the full Bundaberg Now story here.

Students looking for a monetary boost towards their studies will have from now until September to apply for the Bundaberg Region Youth Scholarship Awards.

Officially launched this week, the program is overseen by an Advisory Group made up of representatives from Youth Services Bundaberg, Link & Launch, CQUniversity and Bundaberg Regional Council.

The program provides financial support for youth passionate about continuing their education and is funded in-part by the Queensland Child Protection Week Committee.

Mayor Jack Dempsey said the merit-based scholarships would be awarded to six recipients (between the ages of 15 to 24), selected annually from a pool of nominations from across the region.

“These scholarship awards are to be used for continued education or training and help to support social and economic development by enabling our young people to grow, learn, and prosper within our community,” he said.

“The launch event was a great way to present this program to the community and to encourage businesses and organisations to get involved.

“There was a lot of goodwill in the room, with those present now going back to their organisations to see how they can best support the Youth Scholarship Awards.”

Bundaberg Region Youth Services' Viki Hannah said the launch of BRYSA was very successful and now, the focus would be on calling for applicant nominations.

“We are seeking nomination for recipients to be assisted both financially and with mentor support,” she said.

“The program is a collaboration between Council and the community, with businesses and organisations recognising the potential of our local young people and walk beside them as they reach their learning goals.”

How to get involved:

There are two ways people can get involved – by nominating someone for the awards or by supporting the awards (either cash or in-kind contributions).

Young people can also nominate themselves.

Scholarships, in the amount of $2,000 per student award, are available each calendar year for the following categories:

• Two recipients beginning (or continuing) university studies
• Two recipients beginning (or continuing) vocational education and training (VET) courses
• Two recipients beginning (or continuing) apprenticeships or traineeships

To submit a nomination or find out how you can contribute to the Bundaberg Region Youth Scholarship Awards, visit https://www.ourbundabergregion.com.au/youth-scholarship

Read the full Bundaberg Now story here.

Businesses and organisations passionate about supporting the region’s youth are being encouraged to attend the launch of new scholarship program by Bundaberg Regional Council next month.

The Bundaberg Region Youth Scholarship Awards (BRYSA) recognises and supports youth who have overcome significant obstacles in pursuit of their personal achievements and is aimed at providing more opportunity to pursue their education and training goals.

The merit-based scholarships will be awarded to six recipients between the ages of 15 to 24, selected annually from a pool of nominations across the region.

The scholarship awards are made up of allocated funding to be used for continued education or training and help to support social and economic development.

The program will be officially launched on Tuesday 4 July from 7 am to 8.30 am at the Bundaberg Multiplex, with all interested businesses and community organisations invited to attend.

Mayor Jack Dempsey said the initiative was created as the next step of the Bundaberg Jobs Commitment program.

“Bundaberg Jobs Commitment is all about connecting employers with our youth to inspire and assist them in making decisions to pursue a life that includes work and education after they leave school,” he said.

“It was originally created to address the region’s high youth unemployment and disengagement rates and, with the introduction of the BRYSA initiative, we hope even more students will take up local education/training opportunities to grow, learn, and prosper within the Bundaberg Region community.”

Local organisations support Bundaberg Region Youth Scholarship Awards

A number of organisations have come on board to support the BRYSA initiative through an advisory group and include CQUniversity, Link and Launch and Bundaberg Region Youth Services.

Herna Conradie from the STEPS program said CQUniversity was fully committed to supporting the initiative by actively engaging in the advisory committee role and providing mentorship to recipients to help them achieve their goals and aspirations.

“We stand firmly behind this program, working hand in hand with the recipients, to ensure their dreams are nurtured and their opportunities identified,” Herna said.

“I am looking forward to seeing how determined and resilient young individuals who are willing to put in the effort required to achieve success will be identified through this program.

“These deserving individuals will not only receive financial support, but also have access to a strong support network.”

Link and Launch, Department of Education's Rebecca Egan said the BRYSA initiative aligned perfectly with the organisation's goals.

“Our mission is it empower and uplift all of our youth in the Bundaberg community, providing them with the educational opportunities they deserve,” she said.

“Through the BRYSA, we aim to break down barriers and open doors to a brighter future for our young people.

“I am really excited to be a part of this program as it is so important to support all of our youth in the community and a great opportunity to allow our youth to ‘be what they can't always see’ – creating positive change in our community.”

Bundaberg Region Youth Services' Viki Hannah said the scholarship program represented hope for young people and recognition for their efforts in meeting personal challenges

“For me, the message this sends is that ‘we see you',” she said.

“Vulnerable young people are often represented for things that are negative in our community and yet so much is achieved.

“Council being inclusive with this program is a positive for the whole of our great community.”

About the Bundaberg Region Youth Scholarship Awards

Scholarships in the amount of $2000 per student award will be available each calendar year for the following categories:

• Two recipients beginning (or continuing) university studies
• Two recipients beginning (or continuing) studies in VET pathway
• Two recipients beginning (or continuing) apprenticeship/traineeship

The Bundaberg Region Youth Scholarship Awards launch event is scheduled for 4 July 2023 from 7 am to 8.30 am at the Bundaberg Multiplex.

If your organisation is interested in attending and learning more about how to get involved in the Bundaberg Region Youth Scholarship Awards program, RSVP and find out more here.

You can read the full Bundaberg Now story here.