The Sandra Schmirler Foundation encourages the athletic and academic careers of promising Canadian curlers by offering annual scholarships. Beginning in 2013, the Sandra Schmirler Foundation has awarded $5,000 scholarships to six junior curlers annually. The scholarship funds education and curling expenses equally.

Each Spirit of Sandra Scholar organizes a fundraising event to ensure that Sandra’s Legacy Lives On. Every year, the scholars are provided with the opportunity to select one hospital foundation to receive a grant to purchase life-saving equipment for their Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).

Application Deadline: May 29, 2023 midnight ET

Successful applicants will be notified no later than June 30, 2023.

The applicant must:
• be a Canadian citizen.
• be studying at the post-secondary level in the 2023-2024 academic year and be enrolled in 6 courses during the academic year.

• be born July 1, 2003 or later.
• have a minimum academic average of 75% or the equivalent GPA.
• be committed to curling at the U20 level or younger during the 2023-2024 curling season.

• be committed to holding a fundraising event for the Sandra Schmirler Foundation by May 31, 2024.

How to apply for the Spirit of Sandra Scholarship
1. Complete the application form and upload the required files.
2. Create a multimedia presentation, upload it to Youtube (unlisted) and upload the link.

What you will need to complete your application

• complete information and questions in online application.

• letter of acceptance to post-secondary institution if you are currently a high school student.

• high school marks or university transcripts (a screenshot is acceptable).

• supply two reference letters.

• the link to your ‘unlisted’ YouTube video.

• a head & shoulders photo in jpeg format.

Multimedia Presentation Instructions
It’s very important that you invest the time and energy necessary to create a memorable, creative 5-minute (max.) multimedia presentation. Your presentation counts for 50% of your points.
In your multimedia presentation, tell us:
•  who you are;
•  why you should be chosen as a Spirit of Sandra Scholar; and

• how you will work with the Foundation to achieve the Foundation’s mission.

Your presentation will be graded in the following areas:
•  Content (10 points) – this is the information that you provide. Ask yourself if it is relevant, informative, meaningful, and engaging.
•  Style/Multimedia Elements (10 points) – how you express yourself and your personality through the effective use of graphics, video, audio and other enhancements.
•  Quality (10 points) – how do you deliver your message? Are you clear consistent and concise?

Here are some things to consider when creating your multimedia presentation:
•  Write a script and practice it. Watch footage of yourself and identify areas where you can improve.
•  Make sure your multimedia elements are relevant to the content you are speaking about.
•  Lighting.
•  Be aware of your surrounding (cleanliness, shadows, distractions, etc.).
•  Audio quality – background noise distracts from what you are saying.
•  Make sure you use a tripod or place your camera on a solid surface to avoid shaky footage.
•  Work on your camera presence.
•  Choose a good video-editing program.

Uploading Your Video to YouTube
To get started uploading your video on YouTube, follow the steps outlined here. 
Please Set Your Video to “Unlisted”. We want to ensure that your video is only viewable by the selection committee. Only those with the direct URL can watch an unlisted video. It won’t show up on your YouTube channel or anywhere else on the site.

To set your videos to unlisted, follow these easy steps:
•  Visit your Video Manager.
•  Find the video you’d like to set to private and click the Edit button.
•  In the “Privacy Settings” drop-down menu, select Unlisted.
•  Click Save Changes.

APPLICATIONS FOR 2023 HAVE NOW CLOSED.

PLEASE CHECK BACK IN EARLY 2024 TO APPLY FOR THE NEXT CLASS OF SPIRIT OF SANDRA SCHOLARS