OSSTF Teacher Education Award

What you will need

• ✓ Completed online application form
• ✓ Review of the OSSTF/FEESO Faculty of Education Award: Criteria Explanations attachment

About this award

You get $1,000 for this award. As a scholarship, this money is yours to keep and you do not have to pay it back. It is awarded annually. This is for you if you are a graduating teacher candidate specializing in Intermediate/Senior or Technological Education who believes in the values of unionism and wants to work for a public secondary school board. You must submit your application online between January and the third Thursday in April. No specific notification date is posted publicly — when you apply, ask the Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation (OSSTF — the professional organization representing secondary teachers in Ontario) how and when you will hear back. The OSSTF/FEESO (the Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation; FEESO is its French name) Faculty of Education Advisory Work Group reviews all applications. They recommend one student from each eligible faculty of education to the Provincial Executive, who makes the final selection based on who best exemplifies the award criteria. The Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation sends the award cheque and a letter of congratulations directly to the recipients. They also notify the Deans of the Faculties of Education about who won.

Who qualifies

You must be a graduating Intermediate/Senior or Technological Education Teacher Candidate at an English-language publicly assisted faculty of education in Ontario. To qualify, you must be attempting to secure a job with a public secondary board and show a clear understanding and empathy for the values of unionism.

This is what the award's official page said when we last checked. Rules change, so confirm on the award's official page before you apply.

• ✓ Open to graduate students
• ✓ Resident of Ontario
• ✓ Studying Intermediate/Senior Education or Technological Education

How to apply

1. 1

   Read the award's official page

   Check you meet every requirement, and note each document they ask for.

2. 2

   Check this year's deadline

   We don't have a confirmed date for this round. The award's official page will have it.

Tips for applying

• Union ValuesAvoid giving generic answers about teamwork. Instead, explain your specific understanding of unionism and how those values apply to your future role as a teacher. Mention a concrete example of why collective bargaining or worker rights matter in a school setting.
• StrategyAvoid waiting until the end of the window to apply. Instead, prepare your materials in January so you can submit well before the third Thursday in April. This ensures you have time to troubleshoot any technical issues with the online form.
• RealismAvoid assuming you will win it. Instead, remember that only one student per eligible faculty of education is selected. Focus your application on what makes your perspective unique compared to other candidates in your program.

Questions students ask

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