Financial Aid
YPM is committed to equity and inclusion. We strive to not deny anyone who wishes to participate in Session due to financial barriers.
We currently have four financial aid programs that subsidize the cost to attend Session:
- General financial aid,
- The Garry MacLean Scholarship for Indigenous youth,
- The Newcomer Scholarship for newcomer and refugee youth, and
- The Manitoba Emerging Leaders Award.
General Financial Aid
Thanks to our endowment fund, YPM is able to offer partial or full waivers on the registration cost of Session for youth who may not be eligible for the scholarships below, but otherwise find the cost prohibitive to participation.
Garry McLean Scholarship
The Garry McLean Scholarship Fund (GMSF) was started in 2016 as the Reconciliation Fund. It was renamed in 2019 in memoriam YPM’s first Elder, Garry McLean, who was instrumental in its development. Every year, it allows up to 10 Indigenous youth from across Manitoba to attend Session free of charge, covering clothing, travel, and food costs.
The Scholarship Fund is sustained completely by donations in support of our commitment to reconciliation and inclusion. If you would like to donate to the Scholarship Fund, you can do so here.
This program distributes 10 scholarships annually on a first-come basis.
| Name | File Size |
|---|---|
| 2017 Reconciliation Fund Report | 3 MB |
| 2018 Reconciliation Fund Report | 3 MB |
| 2019 GMSF Report | 716 KB |
| 2022 GMSF Report | 583 KB |
Newcomer Scholarship
The Newcomer Scholarship was established in 2021. In its first year, the Newcomer Scholarship will be awarded annually to one newcomer youth, fully covering the registration fee for Session. YPM will work with partner agencies in Manitoba to recruit eligible youth.
This program distributes 3 scholarships annually on a first-come basis.
Manitoba Emerging Leaders Award
The Manitoba Emerging Leaders Award (MBELA) was created in 2013 by four alumni: Steve Synyshyn, Ben Wickstrom, Sachin Kumar and Mackenzie Campbell. The scholarship covers the registration fee and provides an allowance for clothing, food, transportation, and merchandise during Session.
The award is facilitated in partnership with Youth Agencies Alliance (YAA), which is comprised of 18 member agencies. These agencies are community-based, youth-serving agencies that offer year-round programming at no cost. In the past, agencies that have sent youth to Session through the MBELA are Ma Mawi Wi Chi Itata Centre, Ndinawemaaganag Endaawaad, and Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization of Manitoba Inc. (IRCOM).
If you are a young person who is affiliated with a member agency of Youth Agencies Alliance (YAA), contact your agency directly to be connected with the MBELA application process.