Have you ever thought you could learn more by stepping out of the classroom and climbing Mount Kilimanjaro? Did you ever dream of opening your own summer camp for under-privileged youth in Hamilton?

The possibilities are endless when you apply for The Drs. Jolie Ringash and Glen Bandiera Renaissance Award.

Established by McMaster graduates, the McMaster Renaissance Award is intended to create transformative opportunities for students from all faculties and programs.

The recipient of the award shall be an individual who wishes to engage in a 4-12 month, self-directed, enrichment experience, outside their chosen program of study. The intention is to explore a project of personal significance that will amplify the recipient’s university experience, while engaging in experiential learning at home or abroad.

“When you’ve been part of a country and a community and an academic culture for a number of years, it can be hard to realize that it’s not the only way to see the world,” says Bandiera, the award’s co-founder and emergency room doctor at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto. “We hope this will encourage learners to see the world in a different way.”

Each applicant should propose a unique experience outside his/her usual field of study, outline the details of this experience (timeline, budget, supervision, outcomes), and explain why it will enhance the applicant’s future career or societal contribution. Recipients will be award according to their proposed budget, up to a maximum of $25,000.

AVP & Dean of Students Sean Van Koughnett, along with MSU President Teddy Saull will host an information session in MUSC 319 on October 1 from 3-4pm. All are welcome, no reservation is required and complimentary appetizers will be served.

The deadline to apply for the Renaissance Award is October 28, 2014 by 11:59 PM, applications can be found here.

To learn more about the McMaster Renaissance Award, attend the info session on October 1, or click here.

(Via msumcmaster.ca)