Rotary Career Opportunity Award

            The Rotary Career Opportunity Endowment Fund is a joint program of the Rotary Club of Red Deer, the Community Foundation of Central Alberta (CFCAB), the Red Deer Public School Board, and the Red Deer Catholic Regional Division.  An endowment created in 1997 by the contributing parties and held in trust by CFCAB has enabled awards of $1,000 to $1,200 each to be presented each year to graduating high school students.  In 2015, the awards were increased to $2,000 and in 2024 the awards have been increased to $3,000. We are pleased to announce the 2026 award recipients will each also receive $5,000.

            In 2026, up to 15 awards will be made to deserving students, based on the following criteria:

• There must be a need for financial assistance in continuing studies.
• Student must have demonstrated leadership and motivational skills through participation in student, community, and / or business activities.
• Academic achievement must be adequate to gain admittance to the school and program of choice.
• Applicants must be planning on attending an institution located in Alberta.

            The Rotary Career Opportunity Award is open to anyone attending:

• Red Deer Public School Division
• Red Deer Catholic School Division

            You will be required to submit the following in this application:

• Two signed, dated reference letters that include phone numbers
• Transcript or outline of high school academic results
• Your parent(s)/legal guardian(s) Notice of Assessment (Please note: you can still apply if you are unable to provide this documentation. You will be required to provide a brief explanation as to why you are unable to provide this documentation).
• Proof of Enrollment (this can be through a screenshot of a timetable, letter of acceptance, or confirmation of registration. If you are deferring, you will be asked to provide a brief explanation as to why. Exceptions may be made for extenuating circumstances).

            Applications are available from high school counsellors in February of each year and must be completed and returned by 4:30 p.m. on May 5, 2026.  After evaluation of applications, selection is made by a committee composed of representatives of the Rotary Club of Red Deer, the Community Foundation, and student counsellors from the high schools involved. We look forward to hearing from you!

Application Deadline:

May 5, 2026

Each award has its own criteria, deadline and submitting process. Please read all pieces of the application carefully.

Note: As per CRA regulations, our Foundation is not at liberty to disburse the awards directly to recipients. Rather, we release the funds directly to qualified post-secondary institutions, which then credits the student’s tuition account.  CFCAB will never ask for your banking details.