5 August 2004

David Close awards for 2004 made by Christchurch City Council

Students in landscape architecture, social work and Maori and law are the winners of this year’s David Close study awards from the Christchurch City Council.

The 2004 award winners are Mary Paul, from Woolston, a first-year student in Maori and law at the University of Canterbury; Jo-Anne Savage, from Sydenham, who is enrolled at CPIT for a diploma in social work; and Kylie Smith from Sumner, who is at Lincoln University studying landscape architecture.

The awards are worth up to $6000 a year, to cover the costs of up to four years’ study for a student each at Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology (CPIT) and Canterbury and Lincoln universities. They are for study in subjects which are relevant to a career in local government. One of the Council’s aims in setting up the awards was to create a form of cadetship – a launch pad for a career in public service – and where possible a ward recipients are being offered holiday work and a job at the council when their studies are complete. Jane Edwards, the scholarship manager at Lincoln University, says the awards are a real benefit to the winners. “They’re definitely one of the best undergraduate scholarships available, especially because the council does its best to employ their David Close scholars in the holidays.”

David Close retired in 2001 after 23 years as a city councillor. The Council set up the awards to give lasting recognition to his contribution to the city. They are particularly targeted at students who have the ability but not the means to seek higher education. Mr Close serves on the group which makes the awards.

The awards are open to New Zealand citizens or permanent residents who have lived in the city for at least a year and have not done full-time tertiary study before. Applications are made through the scholarship offices of the three tertiary institutions, before 31 January each year.

ENDS

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Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

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