OPPI Student Scholarships

The Ronald M. Keeble Undergraduate Scholarship assists in furthering planning education and recognizing undergraduate student members who are making a positive contribution to their communities. 

Application Criteria: 

• Must be an OPPI student member 
• Must be enrolled full-time in an accredited undergraduate planning program in Ontario 
• Must have a demonstrated commitment to the planning profession 

Selection Process: 

Scholarships will be selected through a review panel process by members of the OPPI Outreach Committee, comprised of Full members of OPPI. Applications are reviewed and rated based on the following: 

• A written summary of your commitment to the planning profession and your career objectives, up to 1000 words;  
• Academic achievement as demonstrated in your current academic transcript; and 
• At least two (2) letters of reference, including at least one from a Full member of OPPI. 

The Gerald Carrothers Graduate Scholarship assists in furthering planning education and recognizing graduate student members who are making a positive contribution to their communities. 

Application Criteria: 

• Must be an OPPI student member 
• Must be enrolled full-time in an accredited graduate planning program in Ontario 
• Must have a demonstrated commitment to the planning profession 

Selection Process: 

Scholarships will be selected through a review panel process by members of the OPPI Outreach Committee, comprised of Full members of OPPI. Applications are reviewed and rated based on the following: 

• A written summary of your commitment to the planning profession and your career objectives, up to 1000 words;  
• Academic achievement as demonstrated in your current academic transcript; and 
• At least two (2) letters of reference, including at least one from a Full member of OPPI. 

Demonstrated in our ongoing work to make the planning profession in Ontario more inclusive and just, the OPPI Opportunity Scholarship is offered in acknowledgement of the financial barriers to education that disproportionately affect Black, Indigenous and other racialized people. This scholarship aligns with the recommendations of OPPI’s Indigenous Planning Advisory Committee and OPPI’s Anti-Black Racism in Planning Task Force along with INSPIRE: OPPI Strategic Plan 2025. 
 
This scholarship may be awarded to an Indigenous, Black, or other racially marginalized person currently enrolled in an accredited planning program in Ontario. This scholarship is a one-time award of up to $5,000 and may be awarded to undergraduate or graduate planning students. 
 
Application Criteria: 

• Must be an OPPI student member 
• Must be enrolled full-time in an accredited undergraduate or graduate planning program in Ontario 
• Must be actively involved in community-based activities as a volunteer in your local and/or cultural community 
• Must self-identify as Indigenous, Black, and/or from other racially marginalized communities 

Selection Process: 

Scholarships will be selected through a review panel process comprised of Full members of OPPI who identify as Indigenous, Black, and/or from another racially marginalized communities, based on the following: 

• A written summary of your commitment to the planning profession, your local and/or cultural community volunteer involvement, and your understanding of the relationship between these two identities for your career, up to 1000 words; and 
• At least two (2) letters of reference, including one from a Full member of OPPI and one from a community leader. 

Southwest Ontario District Planning Student Scholarships are intended to promote excellence in relevant planning education, community service and personal achievement by student members of OPPI's Southwest District who are enrolled full-time in an accredited undergraduate or graduate university planning program for the academic year in which the application is made.

In 2022, the Southwest Ontario District Planning Student Scholarship was awarded to 2022 Natasha Guadiana Harrison, University of Guelph. 

The successful applicants will be selected on the basis of the following criteria:

• Relevant academic interests a nd/or research activity to professional planning practice in Southwestern Ontario;
• Academic performance; and
• Current or past contributions to the activities of a community, club, volunteer organization, university, or, OPPI.

To Apply for the Southwest District Ontario Planning Scholarship a letter of application with full return mailing address, email address, and phone number must be accompanied by:

1. No more than a two-page statement of academic interests and/or career objectives;
2. Two letters of reference: one of which must be from either an university faculty who is a Full member of OPPI or a previous employer in a planning related profession; and
3. One copy of all academic transcripts for all completed post-secondary courses, which is a certified original or a photocopy of an original that is verified by a member of the university staff to be a true copy.

Submission Deadline: Applications must be received by the Secretary-Treasurer of the SWOD-OPPI Educational Trust Foundation on or before November 1 each year.

Only complete applications will be considered. Up to two awards will be presented at the November meeting of the Southwestern District OPPI membership. Successful candidates must supply their social insurance number to the Secretary-Treasurer to obtain the award.

Secretary-Treasurer of the SWOD-OPPI Educational Trust Foundation
Mr. Allan Rothwell, MCIP, RPP (Retired)
5251 Line 81
RR#4 Listowel, ON
N4W 3G9
phone: 519.291.9898
email: allanfrothwell@gmail.com

Mario is the recipient of the Gerald Carrothers Graduate Scholarship.

Having grown up in the outskirts of a Brazilian city, Mario Ribeiro Neto deeply values the collective responsibility of a community in raising children. He recognizes the crucial role played by public services and infrastructure in creating an environment that supports this endeavor, with a particular emphasis on creating the conditions that enable queer individuals and people of color to thrive. This belief strongly influences his interest in a diversity of areas in planning, including active transportation, public transit, affordable housing, and the development of inclusive and vibrant public spaces that foster meaningful exchanges. 
Motivated by his passion to address these issues, Mario obtained a Bachelor's Degree in Architecture and Urban Planning from his hometown and is currently pursuing a Master of Arts in Planning at the University of Waterloo. During his graduate studies, his research primarily focuses on policies that promote synergy between cycling infrastructure and public transit. As an emerging queer planning professional, Mario looks forward to bringing his expertise in Latin American practices to the Canadian planning context and is grateful for the support of the OPPI's Gerald Carrothers Graduate Scholarship for contributing to his pursuit of this endeavor. 
 

Jodie is the recipiant of the Ronald M. Keeble Undergraduate Scholarship and the Opportunity Scholarship

With an initial background in civil engineering, Jodie has always had a keen interest in the construction of cities and how people navigate urban spaces. Jodie’s discovery of urban planning, recognizing its alignment with her passions during her first year of undergraduate studies, changed her initial trajectory. 

Jodie has pursued various internships and jobs that align with her passion for planning and racial equity. Working alongside various mentors and urbanists within the field, she has gained a deeper understanding on how mainstream planning theories and practices have historically been employed to contextualize racial problems as spatial problems and how they continue to persist in serving as a pretext for the displacement and banishment of Black communities from urban spaces. In addition to this, her future research aims to dismantle ableism within the field. Specifically, exploring the intersectionality of disability and race and its compounding effects on the lived experiences of Black communities accessing essential services, housing and public spaces.

With a commitment to addressing the limited literature and underrepresentation of Black planning practitioners, her ultimate goal is to contribute to the development of more equitable and inclusive planning practices, amplifying the experiences and perspectives of marginalized communities.