FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 21, 2015
Manitoba’s Sisler High School Launches Scholarship Program with Vancouver Film School
New VFS-Sisler Pathway provides Winnipeg students with opportunity to enter creative economy through funding and support from internationally renowned school.
Winnipeg, MB – Sisler High School launches an unprecedented partnership with Vancouver Film School (VFS) that provides merit-based scholarships to their students for VFS’ world-class one-year intensive production programs. The VFS-Sisler Pathway will provide talented Winnipeg students the opportunity to excel in the growing creative economy in Canada, responsible for more than 1.1 million jobs.
Two of Sisler’s top performing students, Daniel Cochon (18) and Moises Lucero (18), are the first recipients of the scholarship, each receiving more than $5,000 in funding towards the Film Production and Classical Animation programs. Every year, graduating Sisler students have the opportunity to be awarded up to $4,000 dollars in Merit-Based Scholarships based on their academic performance. In addition, two $3,000 Excellence in Media Scholarships will be offered to the two top digital media students at Sisler, selected by the high school’s staff.
“The scholarship has given me the chance to chase after my dreams. I’ve had a passion to become a filmmaker since middle school, and now have a chance to fulfill these ambitions. I’m delighted to be developing my career as part of this new partnership,”
explained Daniel Cochon. The unique cross-institutional collaboration will also enhance learning at Sisler, with additional access provided to VFS instructors, professionals and resources – further helping to develop the innovative curriculum the school has established in Visual & Performing Arts and Interactive Digital Media.
Canada’s creative economy is estimated to contribute more than 1.1 million jobs to the Canadian economy and is responsible for 7.4 percent of real GDP – more than the mining, forestry, fishery sectors and Canadian Forces combined. In BC, digital and entertainment industries are worth $4 billion in annual GDP and supply more than 85,000 jobs, making it an exciting sector for young creatives and entrepreneurs.
“We’re thrilled to play an active role in supporting innovation and talent development at high school level. This high school—post-secondary partnership further strengthens our aim of incubating the talent of North America’s entertainment arts industries and the creative economies in BC, Canada, and beyond,”
explained James Griffin, President and Co-Founder of Vancouver Film School.
“As the largest high school in Winnipeg, and one with a strong reputation in cutting-edge curriculum, it’s essential to us that we prepare our students for the next phase of their education and careers that excel them within our rapidly changing marketplace. By partnering with Vancouver Film School, we can offer our students access to knowledge and resources in digital media production that further builds on our students’ enthusiasm, maturity and professionalism,”
said George Heshka, Principal of Sisler High School.
The joint announcement comes just months after the launch of the VFS-BCIT pathway—a remarkable partnership between VFS and the British Columbia Institute of Technology that enables VFS graduates to fast-track into the BCIT School of Business and be eligible to obtain a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) at BCIT. The VFS-Sisler Pathway program marks VFS’s continued commitment to institutional partnerships within Canada.
MEDIA ENQUIRIES
For media enquiries, including interviews with scholarship winners Daniel Cochon and Moises Lucero; Principal of Sisler High School George Heshka; or Vancouver Film School Director of Educational Administration Ted Gervan, contact:
Zoe Grams, ZG Communications
E: zoe@zgcommunications.com, T: +1 604 336 3822, C: +1 604 500 3822