In a bid to ensure that academically gifted students receive a superior quality education and are able to fulfill their academic aspirations, the Canadian International School, Bangalore (CIS) has been awarding scholarships to as many as 10 students each year in grade 9 and 11 to help them achieve superior quality education. To further its mission to ensure that these scholarship students have an equally rewarding college experience, the CIS Community and Alumni have now undertaken a crowd sourcing initiative named ‘CIS Wings’ to provide continued financial support to these brilliant minds till the time they complete their university. The fuel a dream campaign has already raised almost 4 lakh rupees toward their goal of 10 lakh. The student who will benefit from the funds has received a full academic scholarship to a college in the UK. The funds raised by the CIS Wings campaign will help support her travel and living expenses to a University that has already rewarded her academic achievements.
This campaign aims to provide financial support to scholarship students of Canadian International School, Bengaluru in the next phase of their education. The funds raised through this crowd funding initiative will help these students who need continued financial support to achieve their college dreams. These students apply to universities both in India as well as abroad and many of them are able to obtain either part or full academic scholarships. However, due to financial constraints they are unable to realise their dreams.
Shweta Sastri, Managing Director, Canadian International School, said, “The aim of CIS wings is to support the study, living and travel expenses of students who receive full scholarships at university along with supporting those students who receive only partial scholarships for their college programs. We hope to bridge the financial gap for these students so that they can, in fact, afford to go to their university of choice.”
Each year when the scholarship students of CIS graduate from the school, they apply to colleges both in India and abroad. While they do get grants/scholarships from the universities, it is not enough to help them support their college dreams. Hence, as educators it is our responsibility to help these young minds transition into college and to help them achieve their academic goals. This was the idea which laid the foundation for CIS Wings campaign. Each year, one student will benefit from the fund and as the fund gains support and success the school will also look to expand this to students outside CIS as well, added Shweta.
Harshitha Rajappa, student and the first beneficiary of the CIS Wings initiative, said, “CIS has provided me with endless opportunities and has played a critical role in my battle against financial constraints. It is needless to say that with rising education fees, obtaining a college education has become expensive and is beyond the reach of many talented students. Therefore, with the CIS Wings initiative, I will now be able to fulfill my various goals which were once only a dream. I will always remain grateful to the school for giving me this life changing experience.”
Harshitha comes from a middle-class family; her mother works as a Hindi teacher at a school in Shimoga and her father works as a photographer. Her financial situation was always a barrier, but she is glad that this time she could break it. The student is planning to do a double major in aerospace engineering and creative writing. She has met inspiring people at the school and her guidance counsellors and teachers always tell her that she’s capable of bigger things ahead. Harshitha aspires to go far ahead in life and make everyone who has contributed to her life proud.