March Break Open House bring thousands of prospective students to campus so they can start to imagine what it would be like to choose Queen’s. It is also an opportunity for the university to connect with equity-deserving prospective students to show how programs and supports have been put in place in recent years to reduce barriers to a Queen’s education.

This year, a special event was held by the Access and Inclusion team, in the Undergraduate Admission and Recruitment office, designed to assist students in learning more about the Queen’s experience and the initiatives that are aiming to make campus more inclusive. The team brought together more than 300 equity-deserving students and parents from ten community organizations, including the Scarborough, Ottawa, and Kingston branches of the Pathways to Education program, Big Brothers, Big Sisters of Peel and York, and Leadership by Design. Most students traveled to campus with the community organizations that support them or with their families.

“For many of these students, it can often be difficult for them to envision themselves within a post-secondary environment. They’ve been told to dream big but have not been provided with the resources and supports necessary,” says Shoshannah Bennett-Dwara, Recruitment Coordinator on the Access and Inclusion Team. “They were an incredibly engaged group who were interested in learning more about the supportive services we offer through the First-Generation Admission Pathway and campus supports.”

The students learned about Queen’s Access and Inclusion programs, admission pathways, and bursaries through information sessions and got a feel for the campus by taking tours. Members of the Equity Ambassador team engaged with prospective students throughout the day and shared their experiences as equity-deserving students at Queen’s.

“Being able to represent Queen's as an Equity Ambassador at the 2023 March Break Open House was incredibly rewarding,” says Kidus Leul, a student in the applied economics program and an Equity Ambassador. “Being able to bring in youth from across Ontario, provide them with a fun day, and a glimpse of the possibilities available to them was an awesome experience and I'm grateful to have been a part of that.”

Representatives from different academic departments and programs met with students as well to introduce them to different fields of study at Queen’s and take their questions.

The Access and Inclusion Team will be continuing its outreach over the next several weeks, visiting communities and schools. A large community building event is being co-organized with Pathways to Education in Toronto’s Regent Park neighbourhood in early May.

Access and Inclusion at Queen’s

Queen’s suite of access and inclusion awards include the Promise Scholars program, Commitment Scholars Award, Commitment Bursaries, and the new Major Access Awards.

Announced last fall, the Major Access Awards offer transformational financial aid for the highest need applicants. Up to 100 awards are available for the 2023-24 academic year, with support ranging between $10,000 to $18,000, for each of four years, depending on the student’s academic program.

The Promise Scholars program is a comprehensive initiative designed to reduce financial barriers and increase access to Queen’s for first-generation students from Kingston and the surrounding counties of Frontenac, Lennox and Addington, Leeds and Grenville, Hastings, and Prince Edward. Five Promise Scholars awards are available, providing $60,000-$100,000 over four years depending on the program.

The Commitment Scholars Award celebrates and recognizes demonstrated leadership in, and commitment to, racial justice, social justice, or diversity initiatives by equity-deserving students in their high school or in their community. Ten renewable awards are available, providing $12,000 per year.

Commitment Bursary funds up to $5,000 per year are available to students who self-identify as a member of an underserved or underrepresented group and demonstrate financial need.

Admission Bursaries are also available to all first-year students with financial need, with awards of up to $7,500.

Learn more on the Undergraduate Admission website.