Scholarship Fund

HELPING HORTICULTURE STUDENTS IN BRITISH COLUMBIA

The BC Council of Garden Clubs’ Scholarship Fund assists Canadian students resident in BC in furthering their education in horticulture in a recognized accredited college or university through the granting of scholarships and bursaries.

The capital of the fund comes from donations made by garden clubs throughout BC as well as bequests and other sources. These donations become and remain part of the capital fund. The capital fund is held and managed by the Vancity Community Foundation.

The Scholarship Fund Committee is responsible for encouraging donations and for allocating the available funds to BC educational facilities for students in their horticultural-related programs.

HOW THE FUND WORKS

Our members kindly donate funds to the Scholarship Fund.

The funds are held with the Vancity Community Foundation (VCF) as a Donor Advised Fund. This means that the Scholarship Fund Committee decides on the award levels and distribution of available funds each year. VCF recommends the distribution of 4% of the value of the fund each year.

SCHOLARSHIP FUND COMMITTEE

Patty Molnar, our current chairperson, joined the BCCGC Scholarship Fund Committee in 2021 while in her second term as president of the North Surrey Horticultural Society. She has enjoyed a lifelong relationship with gardening, starting with an elementary school science project in growing vegetables. After gaining a BA at UBC, she later balanced her working years in an office job with an interest in gardening, and has always believed in the worth of learning more. As a mature student she earned a Diploma in Horticulture through part-time studies at Surrey College, and encourages anyone who wishes to pursue an education in the horticultural field. She hopes her time with the Scholarship Fund Committee will provide support and value to those seeking a career in horticulture. In the meantime, she will be out singing in the garden as she is a member of a choir and hopes that someone has done studies to confirm with scientific evidence that this is beneficial to plants.

Anita Irani is a member of the Richmond Garden Club and has lofty goals and aspirations as an amateur gardener; and spends a significant amount of time looking at her yard and dreaming about the possibilities. Before her retirement in 2019, Anita was Director of University Admissions at York House School and was responsible for the post-secondary scholarship application process at the school. Early in her 26-year career at York House, Anita also managed the York House School scholarship program in her role as Director of Admissions. She was the Metro Vancouver Coordinator of the Ministry of Education District Scholarship program. From 2005-2008, approximately, Anita served on the Teal Charitable Foundation Board, adjudicating scholarships for ELL participants. She is very excited about being a member of the Scholarship Committee

Betty Girard is a member of the Vancouver Dahlia Society and the South Burnaby Garden Club. She is a senior judge with the American Dahlia Society and a judging instructor with the Federation of Northwest Dahlia Growers. She co-chairs the annual Vancouver Dahlia Society Show. Unlike most gardeners, Betty did not grow up in a gardening family and only caught the gardening bug once she had her own garden. After obtaining a diploma of nursing from the Vancouver General Hospital School of Nursing, she went on to obtain a BSN from the University of Victoria and an MN from Athabasca University.  When she retired from Fraser Health in 2019, Betty spent two years as a contract faculty member with the School of Health at Kwantlen Polytechnic University, where she saw firsthand how important scholarship support can be to many students. With climate change, food security has never been as important as it is now, and future horticulturalists hold the key to understanding how all of us will be able to thrive in the future. 

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY

The committee meets approximately ten times a year and is charged with the administration of the Scholarship Fund, including maintaining contact with: educational institutions receiving awards from the Scholarship Fund; Vancity Community Foundation, which administers the funds; clubs, individuals, and associations that donate to the fund; as well as with students receiving awards.

A familiarity with administrative practices, good computer skills, and a willingness to work with others are assets that are needed. Knowledge of non-profits, streamlining processes, or fundraising would also be beneficial.

If this is of interest to you and you would like more information, Patty Molnar, the current chairperson, would be delighted to hear from you.

For more information on the Scholarship Fund, please feel free to email us .