An investment in students will pay dividends for Northern Saskatchewan for decades. Cameco recently awarded $84,000 in graduate scholarships to students in the International Centre for Northern Governance and Development  Master of Northern Governance and Development program.

Each of the 14 scholarships is worth $6,000, and the funds will be used by the students to cover tuition and other program costs. The announcement coincided with the launch of the MNGD internship program, By the North with the North: Community Building in Northern Saskatchewan.

Shavonne Custer is one of those students. She is a registered nurse from Pelican Narrows and is the Assistant Supervisor for Community Health with the Prince Albert Grand Council. She has taken on the Masters program and worked full time during it. The travel and time commitment was difficult, but the investment will lead to bigger and better things at work. 

"I see this leading to more supervisory options and working more on policy and working with government and with FNIB," said Shavonne. "Implementing different initiatives with the Grand Council around health and wellness is always changing. This will allow me to be involved with that."

The By the North with the North: Community Building in Northern Saskatchewan research internships are an opportunity for students to apply their MNGD training to build capacity in a Northern Saskatchewan community by focusing on one of the program's five core areas: governance; health and social development; innovation and entrepreneurship; capacity building; or resource development and environmental management. 

The research takes place over a six month period and results in a literature review, program evaluation, needs assessment, or feasibility study. The project is one of the largest known student-led research projects focused on northern issues.

"We take our direction from northern leaders when it comes to investing," said Sean Willy, director of corporate responsibility at Cameco. "We all agree building capacity, vision and leadership skills are vital in creating healthy and prosperous northern communities."

Standing, from left: Connie Cheecham, Shavonne Custer, Frances Goulet, Jennifer Roberts, Mikhail Vinokurov, Alana Gardiner, Walter Smith, Helen Ben, Simon Bird, Blake Charles.
Kneeling, from left are students Brandon White, Tuiara Sivtceva, Clifford McKenzie and Donald Bear.
Photo supplied

"These scholarships will make all the difference in terms of ensuring our students' success," said ICNGD Director, Ken Coates. "Without these sorts of significant funding supports, our students wouldn’t be able to undertake all the components of the MNGD program – including the research internships – that make it such a relevant and valuable learning experience for Northerners."

Brandon White, a Métis student from La Ronge and Past President of the Northern Administration Students Association at the University of Saskatchewan, is going to use his internship to undertake a feasibility study for a greenhouse at Cameco’s Rabbit Lake Mine. 

"Collaborative internships between MNGD students and third parties – industry, communities, health regions, and others – mean that research in Saskatchewan will remain true to the needs of its people," said White. "As students, these studies will help us forge professional relationships and, as researchers, they will supply us with questions that are in need of northern answers."

Read one of the personal accounts of student Helen Ben as they study in northern Norway.