Click here for a PDF version of the press release.


Toronto, September 22 2010—French for the Future is proud to announce the launch of its 6^th National Essay Contest.  By putting to work their imagination, passion and French skills, students in grades 10 to 12 across Canada (Secondary IV and V in Quebec) have the opportunity to win exceptional scholarships.

Worth a total of $212,000, the scholarships are being offered by the University of Ottawa, a long-time partner of French for the Future, as well as l’Université Sainte-Anne in Nova Scotia, the University of Alberta’s Campus Saint-Jean and Laurentian University.  For the first time in the history of the contest, winners in each category—French as a Second Language and French as a First Language—will have the choice among four universities.

Each of the 58 scholarships is worth between $2,000 and $20,000 and will give the winners the chance to pursue their postsecondary studies partially or completely in French, ensuring they will remain bilingual for life and enjoy all its countless benefits.

This year, participants are invited to write a 1,000-word essay in French answering the following question: “Imagine that you have the authority to declare 2011 the International Year of _____ (fill in the blank)!  What theme would you choose?  Why?”

“Young people today are faced with world issues every time they log on to the internet.  We want to encourage them to question what is truly important to them and express it in French,” said Helen Coltrinari, President of French for the Future. “The students who will participate in the contest are already demonstrating persistence and an interest in the world around them in the very act of becoming bilingual.  We are very much looking forward to discovering their opinions, passions and thoughts.”

Participants have until January 10th 2011 to submit their essay through the French for the Future website.

For all the details on the contest:

www.french-future.org

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French for the Future is a not-for-profit organization that encourages Canadian students to live and learn in French.

Contact: Pier-Nadeige Jutras, Communications Coordinator
Tel. 416 203-9900 ext. 221  email. pjutras@french-future.org  fax. 416 203-1369
366 Adelaide Street East, Suite 444, Toronto (Ontario)  M5A 3X9