Brock President Jack Lightstone signs an agreement that will see the University receive $500,000 over four years for Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Scholarships that will ultimately create placements in Brock's new Sport Leaders International Internship course.

Brock University, in partnership with Commonwealth Games Canada, has been awarded $500,000 to help students build sport and development programs in commonwealth countries.

The money, announced Monday on International Commonwealth Day, will fund new Canadian Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Scholarships, and ultimately create placements in Brock’s new Sport Leaders International Internship course over the next four years. The Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC) Canadian universities, the Rideau Hall Foundation and the Community Foundations of Canada announced the winning proposals for these prestigious new scholarships.

The Brock University Sport Leaders International Internship, through an innovative partnership with the Commonwealth Games Canada (CGC) and Rowing Canada Aviron (RCA), builds on existing international and sport-for-development programs. This partnership will help create new placement opportunities to address pressing local, national and global issues in developing commonwealth countries over the next four years.

Students will have the chance to work with organizations in Commonwealth countries supporting sport and sport-for-development projects, such as the World Rowing Federation’s Island Project initiative in the Caribbean, and build leaders and communities through sport.

“Our students will be awarded internships that will allow them to make a positive contribution within the commonwealth country they are working in, but also further develop as sport leaders,” says Lisa Kikulis, chair and associate professor in the Department of Sport Management. “Our department has made a significant commitment to building community partnerships. These relationships create opportunities for students to experience all areas within the sport industry.”

The partnership between Brock, the CGC and RCA will play to the strengths of each organization. Brock will recruit and promote eligible students, while the CGC and RCA will enlist host organizations in developing commonwealth nations.

“We are proud to partner with Brock University,” says Richard Powers, CGC President. “Joining Canada’s premier sports intern program, SportWORKS, with Canada’s premier sport management program we will be able to make a difference in the lives of commonwealth youth and provide an enriching, life-changing experience for Canada’s future sport leaders.”

Brock students will take part in an experience that will enhance their skills, cultural awareness, and understanding of international sport for development and community-based sport programming. It will also give students a greater appreciation of Canada’s place in the Commonwealth.

“Without the help of a number of key stakeholders at Brock, RCA and the CGC, we would not have been able to secure this opportunity for our students,” says James Mandigo, Interim Dean of the Faculty of Applied Health Sciences. “This is an incredible opportunity for our students to be part of a global initiative and make a healthy difference in communities for years to come.”

More than 1,900 Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Scholarships will be established at 34 Canadian universities to help students address pressing local, national and global issues. This initiative has received initial investments of more than $40 million, including $10 million from the Government of Canada, to build a dynamic community of young global leaders in Canada and throughout the Commonwealth over the next four years.