Bird Construction/Paul and Gerri Charette Endowment Fund finances new bursary for Indigenous students

Bird Construction Inc. and Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan), in partnership with Paul and Gerri Charette, have established of the Bird Construction/Paul and Gerri Charette Endowment Fund. This will ensure the ongoing financing of a brand-new bursary offered to Indigenous students.

The fund has been established to advance reconciliation and empower Indigenous individuals and communities by removing barriers to education for learners, while promoting a culture of respect and inclusion.

Due to the support of Bird and the Charettes, who both provided $100,000 in funding, CICan will be able to provide financial support, by way of bursaries, to Indigenous students attending a college or institute in Canada. It will help individuals who demonstrate financial need and who face greater challenges and barriers to participate in and complete post-secondary education.

The fund of $200,000 will be held in perpetuity with annual disbursements. For the 2021-2022 school year, the first distribution of the Bird Construction/Paul and Gerri Charette Fund will include four bursaries of $2,500 each. For future years, the number and the amount of bursaries will be dependent on the investment income generated by the fund.