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| Formation | 1988 |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
Official language | English, French |
CEO | Meghan Moore (Loran Scholar '98) |
Key people |
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| Website | www.loranscholar.ca |
Founded in Toronto in 1988, the Loran Scholars Foundation is a national charitable organization awarding scholarships for students entering university in Canada. Loran Scholars receive the country's largest undergraduate merit award on the basis of character, commitment to service and leadership potential.
The Loran Scholars Foundation selects up to 36 students each year for an undergraduate scholarship valued at $100,000.[1] It has been active since 1990.
The scholarship is tenable at 25 public universities throughout Canada; however, the lower level awards (provincial awards and finalist awards) can be used at any public Canadian university or college. Twenty-two Loran Scholars have gone on to win Rhodes Scholarships.[2] It consists of annual stipends, a matching tuition waiver, summer internship funding, annual retreats and scholar gatherings, and mentoring over four years of study.
The Loran Scholar selection process is rigorous. The selection process is as follows:
Since the award was established in 1990, the foundation has selected 615 Loran Scholars. Past Loran Scholars include Lucas Skoczkowski,[4] founder and former CEO of Redknee; Graham Fox,[5] president and CEO of the Institute for Research on Public Policy; Diane Nalini de Kerckhove,[6] a jazz musician and physicist; youth engagement leader and social justice advocate Michelle Dagnino; CPR assist device inventor Corey Centen; François Tanguay-Renaud,[7] Director of York University's Jack & Mae Nathanson Centre on Transnational Human Rights, Crime and Security, and Associate Dean Research at Osgoode Hall Law School; Fédération des communautés Francophones et Acadienne du Canada (FCFA) executive director Alain Dupuis; Thalmic Labs co-founder and CEO Stephen Lake; and Orpyx CEO Breanne Everett.[8]
In 2017, several Loran Scholars were recognized for their impact. Patrick Hickey received the Young Humanitarian Award from the Canadian Red Cross.[9] Afzal Habib, co-founder of Kidogo, and Stephen Lake, co-founder and CEO of Thalmic Labs were on Forbes 30 Under 30 list.[10][11] Amy Tan and Lauren Albrecht were featured on Avenue Magazine's Top 40 list, for Calgary [12] and Edmonton,[13] respectively.
Several awards are granted by the foundation.
Loran Scholars are selected on the basis of character, service, and leadership potential.
Each Loran Scholar receives a scholarship valued at $100,000 over four years (assuming annual renewal during university). The award has three main financial components:
Loran Scholars may study at the following universities in Canada:
Atlantic Canada: Dalhousie University, Memorial University, Mount Allison University, University of King's College, University of New Brunswick.
Québec: McGill University, Université Laval, Université de Montréal, Université de Sherbrooke.
Ontario: McMaster University, Toronto Metropolitan University, Queen's University, University of Guelph, University of Ottawa, University of Toronto, University of Waterloo, Western University, York University.
Prairies: University of Alberta, University of Calgary, University of Manitoba, University of Saskatchewan.
British Columbia: Simon Fraser University, University of British Columbia, University of Victoria.
A unique aspect of the Loran Award is the mentorship program, where each Loran Scholar is paired with a mentor who is a business or community leader. Current and former mentors include ACE Bakery founder Martin Connell, OC, O.Ont; Canadian senator Hon. Landon Pearson; former Ontario Premier Bob Rae; social entrepreneur Scott Gilmore; Second Cup co-founder Frank O'Dea; Dr. Alice Chan-Yip, C.M. of the Montreal Children's Hospital; TV host Lindsay Cameron Wilson; and McMaster professor Dr. Gary Warner.
Furthermore, the Loran Scholars Foundation offers funding (up to $10,000) for three summer internships:
Summer employers have included the World Health Organization, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the Mãori Law Review, BMO Capital Markets, VIA Rail, McKinsey & Company, the Canadian Urban Institute, Frontier College, the Government of Ontario, the Government of Nunavut, Samaritan's Purse and several alumni-founded companies such as Redknee and Canopy Labs.[14]
The Loran Scholars Foundation previously administered the W. Garfield Weston Award for outstanding college-bound students in Canada. Established in 1999 with the support of the W. Garfield Weston Foundation, it awarded up to 25 scholarships to entering college students, and up to 25 scholarships to upper-year college students. The foundation selected its final class of W. Garfield Weston Scholars in 2012.[15]