Live Your Dream Education and Training Awards for Women

The Cause

Soroptimist International of Central Alberta, chartered in 1988, is part of a global volunteer organization that provides women and girls with access to the education and training they need to achieve economic empowerment. Live Your Dream awards have been granted by our club to women in our community since 1990 and 56 women have received cash awards to help them on their education journey. The Live Your Dream awards, give women the chance to make a better life for themselves and their families through increased access to education and better career opportunities – a chance they have not previously had, or may never otherwise have.
The award is granted to a woman who has primary financial responsibility for herself and her dependents, is enrolled or attending an undergraduate degree program or skills training program and shows a financial need. This cash award enables women to offset any costs associated with their education such as books, tuition, childcare or transportation. Over half of Soroptimist’s Live Your Dream recipients worldwide are survivors of domestic violence, trafficking or sexual assault. Nearly all of the women and families we serve have overcome enormous obstacles.
The majority of our winners in Central Alberta have been single moms, who have gone on to successful careers as teachers, nurses, business owners, massage therapist, domestic violence advocate, social workers and many more. They’re driven to help others who face challenges the way they or their children have.
We are applying for funds to grant more awards to women in Central Alberta this year.

Who Will it Benefit?

The application process for our awards each year runs from Aug 1 to Dec 31. Winners are granted their awards on International Women's Day at a Soroptimist luncheon. Due to the pandemic and restrictions in fundraising, we are not able to grant as many awards as we have in the past, or in the same amounts normally given. Having the capability to grant these awards to qualifying women in our community will change their lives. Each applicant we receive is someone deserving of the chance to live her dream.
Each woman we help has a story. Each has a dream. They dream of achieving success on their own terms. They dream of raising healthy families and giving back to their communities. They dream of a day when violence and inequality will no longer stand in their way. Our focus is on education because educated women and girls are less vulnerable to sex traffickers, more likely to leave a domestic violence situation, and able to raise healthier families.
Testimonials:
This award is helping me to reach my education and career goals by helping to pay my
bills so that I didn't have to slow my program down and put my schooling behind a year.
Being honored with this award also caused me to do a lot of introspection into how others
would come to decide that I was worthy of winning such an incredible award. Thank you!
Alison
I am a lupus survivor and a single mother of two boys who benefitted greatly from being a recipient of the “Live your dream” award. I pursued a Bachelors of Science in Biology and recently graduated. This award not only helped with the cost of my education but I had the opportunity to be surrounded by a group of women who empowered, inspired and impacted me greatly.
Adra
The financial support provided has had the magical effect of allowing me to feel I have a
little more control over the steering of this rather daunting project I have taken on,
returning to school. I can work in a field where I can contribute directly to helping others,
and I am also able to role model for my own children a better way to respond to, and recover
from, the sometimes debilitating challenges life throws our way.
Lindsay
I have often thought about the significance of winning the award at that time in my life,
and how helpful the monies were towards my studies. It meant a lot that your
organization believed in me and I promise to never stop dreaming big and helping other
women to be the best versions of themselves they want to be.
Heather