MEDIA RELEASE
Wednesday 22 July, 2009
New Rural Youth Bursary
A new Agricultural Bureau of South Australia study grant aims to help young people working in rural areas to achieve their dreams.
Applications for the $5000 Rural Youth Bursary are open to rural young people in all types of employment, not only primary production.
The bursary will assist someone aged between 18 and 30 to learn more about their chosen career.
Funded by the $40,000 allocated to the Ag Bureau when the South Australian Rural Youth Movement wound up, the bursary is expected to be offered for the next eight years.
Bureau chairman Mark Dennis said the scheme was a fantastic opportunity to get a project up and running or take a study tour.
“This isn’t aimed only at farmers,” he said. “It’s open to young people pursuing any career in a rural area.
“The bursary could be used for further study, undertaking a study tour or even developing a special project.
“We’d like to see the recipient acquire new skills and then make good use of them in their community.”
The Rural Youth Bursary is the Bureau’s third grant to encourage young people to study.
It joins the Peter Olsen Fellowship, which offers similar opportunities to young primary producers, and the Lois Harris Scholarship that provides support to the state’s highest-scoring Year 12 student studying agriculture.
The Bureau is also putting up $1000 to allow four young South Australians to participate in the SA Rural Leadership Program conducted by PIRSA Rural Communities.
Applications for the Rural Youth Bursary close on September 14, with successful candidates to be announced at the Spirit or Excellence Awards on October 13.
Copies of the guidelines and applications forms are available from the Agricultural Bureau SA’s website www.agbureau.com.au or by phoning 1800 652 258 or 8226 0351.
