John K. Nikel Scholarship Application Guidelines (AIBF NORTH) Top


Current Grade 12 students. Applicants MUST reside in the Northern portion of the Province of Alberta. This includes all points North of the City of Red Deer.

AMOUNT, NUMBER AND TIMING OF THE SCHOLARSHIP:
The John K. Nikel Scholarship is valued at $2,500. One scholarship will be awarded annually and announced at the Feature Concert on Wednesday, March 13th, 2024.

OVERVIEW:
In 1971, Mr. John Nikel had a vision for a band festival that would provide an opportunity for young Albertans to perform and learn in a positive, educational environment. This vision resulted in the first Alberta International Band Festival (then the Alberta Stage Band Festival) with 8 jazz bands performing in the first year. Now, 53 years later, the Festival annually hosts more than 300 school and community concert and jazz bands in Edmonton and Calgary and is recognized for its commitment to education through world-class adjudicators and excellent performance venues. In keeping with the original vision of Mr. Nikel, the festival continues to be managed by volunteers, mostly band directors, in both Edmonton and Calgary as a not-for-profit venture.

Brothers John and George Nike left a huge legacy of support for the Arts in Alberta. They continued to advocate tirelessly for music education, particularly band programs in schools until the end. The John K. Memorial Nikel Scholarship has been established as a legacy of this commitment. This scholarship will assist a young Albertan with aspirations of being a band director to pursue their post-secondary studies.

The application deadline is 5:00 PM on March 1st, 2024. Please see below for submission requirements.

Please encourage your students to apply if the criterion for the scholarship applies to them. If you have questions about this award, please contact the chair of the Alberta International Band Festival for Northern Alberta - Rob Speers at [email protected]

AWARD DISBURSEMENT:
The successful applicant will be notified by telephone or in writing. A certificate of acknowledgement will be mailed to the recipient after the announcement in March of 2023. The recipient will be also provided with the necessary details in regards to the award disbursement.

The scholarship itself will be paid when proof of registration in an appropriate post-secondary institution for the fall of 2024 has been received by the Alberta International Band Festival. The scholarship monies will be paid directly to the post-secondary institution towards tuition and fees. In all matters concerning the eligibility and payment, the decision of the AIBF Scholarship Committee shall be final.

APPLICATIONS MAY BE SUBMITTED ONLINE.

To apply, please complete the Google Form at https://forms.gle/md3RcQuwm3D9Mspn6. Any questions should be directed to Rob Speers at [email protected].

AIBF Professional Deveopment Scholarships North Top


The Alberta International Band Festivals are pleased to announce four professional development scholarships, valued at $500 each (for a total of $2,000 annually).

  • Two scholarships will be awarded annually at the final awards of the Alberta International Band Festival in Edmonton. (Any band teacher residing and working north of the City of Red Deer.)
  • Two scholarships will be awarded annually at the final awards of the Alberta International Band Festival in Calgary.

It is the intent of the scholarship that the funds be put towards costs incurred by the recipient educator to attend high quality professional development conferences. Examples could include:

  1. The Alberta Band Association Conference
  2. The Chicago Midwest Band & Orchestra Clinic
  3. Music Mentors International Workshops

Applications will only be accepted from directors whose bands are registered and participating in the Alberta International Band Festival.

We are very grateful to the Alberta International Band Festival Scholarship Fund for their generosity in funding this professional development for four educators for 2024.

The application deadline is March 1st, 2024. Please view guidelines for submission requirements below.

AWARD DISBURSEMENT:
The successful applicants in the northern portion of the Province of Alberta will be notified by telephone and in writing. A certificate of acknowledgement will be presented to the recipients at the Festival Concert for the Alberta International Band Festival on Wednesday, March 13th, 2024 @ 7 PM in Edmonton at the Fringe Theatre Arts Barn.

The scholarship monies will be paid directly to the successful applicants upon presentation of receipts from the chosen conference (examples could include registration fee, transportation costs or hotel costs). In all matters concerning the eligibility and payment, the decision of the AIBF Scholarship Committee shall be final.