Source: Te Pukenga
A new scholarship, offered through Ara Institute of Canterbury – Te Pukenga and Fife Foundation, is expected to provide a huge incentive for young women to take on study in the sustainability and outdoor education sphere.
The scholarship, available for the first time for study at Ara in 2023, will cover full fees for a woman enrolling in the Bachelor of Sustainability and Outdoor Education.
Dave Irwin, Manager, Te Ako me Te Tiaki i Te Taiao Sustainability & Outdoor Education, says it’s the most significant scholarship Ara offers and demonstrates future thinking in action.
“I am thrilled that this scholarship is targeted at women. While sustainability is everyone’s business, women have unequally borne the brunt of unsustainable practices globally: be it through scarcity of food, rising costs, inequity, or social justice prejudice,” he says.
Founded by Gina Satterthwaite and taking its name from her grandmother, Fife Foundation is a not-for-profit entity which aims to help people live happier, healthy lives while benefiting our planet.
Irwin says having the opportunity to build a relationship with Fife Foundation to encourage women to aspire to leadership roles in the sector is incredibly exciting.
“Sustainability is all about working together, collaborating and networking. It’s clear our traditional patriarchal way of doing things in siloed, segmented, and competitive ways simply doesn’t work and as we move into the future, relationships are going to be critical,” he says.
Gina Satterthwaite agrees.
“We seek to be collaborative as it’s so much more powerful than working alone. It gives us the chance to have a longer reach and make a greater impact.”
Satterthwaite says the scholarship is a tangible way to act locally with hopes for global outcomes – specifically working to address the imbalance that exists for women at governance and board levels.
“My hopes for this scholarship are that it breaks barriers for a passionate young woman wanting to study, grow and contribute at a high level in the sustainability sphere,” she says.
Satterthwaite has a personal connection to the course with daughter Georgia, who is also involved with the Fife Foundation, nearing completion of Ara-Te Pūkenga’s Bachelor of Sustainability and Outdoor Education. The course provided a natural tertiary study fit for Georgia who grew up rurally and has a drive to protect the environments she loves.
“Together we share a passion for the environment, land and oceans, and a huge sense of responsibility to care for the spaces we all enjoy,” Gina Satterthwaite says.
Irwin reflects that the study of sustainability has struggled to gain traction in the tertiary sector, but the new scholarship shows Ara is ready to lead a shift in thinking, incentive, and focus.
“When we think about the fast rate of change the world is facing – be it in terms of climate, biodiversity or the gap between rich and poor – it needs big, concerted efforts to halt that trajectory. This relationship is one. Fife Foundation is ready to act and as an organisation we too are showing that we’re prepared to invest heavily in this vital space.”
“We’re joining forces for good.”
