I-STAR



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	I-STAR 2009 Dear Student: The Ismaili Students Total Achievement and Recognition (I-STAR) Awards is an annual program designed to motivate and encourage Ismaili Muslim youth across Canada to strive for and achieve excellence in academics, community service & leadership, athletics, arts & humanities, and science & technology. Each year, Regional I-STAR Awards ceremonies are held in six (6) major centres across Canada: Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Montreal, Ottawa, and Toronto. In addition to hosting some of the best and brightest students, Regional I-STAR Awards ceremonies traditionally attract prominent faculty members, government officials, and other academics from across the country who join us to recognize Ismaili youth achievement and excellence. For an opportunity to take part in this year's I-STAR Awards ceremony to be held in late 2009, we encourage you to participate in the Regional I-STAR Awards Program. Please visit www.educationboard.ca/istar/portal to apply. We wish you continued success in your endeavours. Aga Khan Education Board for Canada I-STAR 2009 Apply Click Here to access the I-STAR Application Portal. I-STAR Eligibility The I-STAR Competition formally closes at midnight October 8th 2009. Students are encouraged to submit their applications a few days ahead of the deadline to avoid difficulties in accessing the portal at the last minute. Late applications will not be accepted. Students may apply in only one of six regions across Canada — Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Montreal, Ottawa, and Toronto. Students applying in more than one region will be disqualified. Students must apply at the level of study completed in the 2008-09 academic year: Grade 7-8 Grade 9-10 Grade 11-12 (including CEGEP in Quebec) Post Secondary Program (not including Graduate or Ph.D programs) Students from Levels I to III must be attending an education institution in Canada and must apply in the region where they attended school during 2008-2009. Applicants attending a school outside of Canada will be deemed ineligible. Students from Level IV must be Canadian Citizens or have Canadian Permanent Resident Status and must apply in the region of permanent residence. I-STAR Award Guidelines Students are encouraged to apply for multiple awards. A single student will, however, only be awarded a maximum of one (1) Core Award per year, PLUS the Student of the Year Award. I-STAR Award Categories Student of the Year Award Awarded to students who have demonstrated excellence in the following areas: Academics Extra-curricular / Co-curricular Leadership Community Service Sports In addition to applying for the Student of the Year Award, students must also apply to the Academic Excellence award, as well as at least two (2) awards amongst Sports, Arts & Culture, Mathematics, Science & Technology, and Youth Leadership & Community Service. Refer to the Student of the Year Application Form from the I-STAR Portal for further details about requirements and adjudication criteria. Academic Excellence Core Award Awarded to students for outstanding and exemplary academic excellence based on average mark calculated using grades obtained from core subjects during the 2008-2009 academic year. Refer to the Academic Excellence Application Form from the I-STAR Portal for further details about requirements and adjudication criteria. Academic Achievement Core Award Awarded to students who have demonstrated significant academic improvement from 2007-2008 to 2008-2009 in core subjects taken during the academic year. Refer to the Academic Achievement Application Form from the I-STAR Portal for further details about requirements and adjudication criteria. Arts & Culture Core Award Awarded to students who have excelled in the fields of social sciences, languages as well as creative and performing arts; e.g. in music, theatre, dance, creative writing, journalism, debating, and research/technical achievements in the anthropology, history, religious studies, political sciences, etc. Refer to the Arts & Culture Award Application Form from the I-STAR Portal for further details about requirements and adjudication criteria. Youth Leadership & Community Service Core Award Awarded to students who have demonstrated exceptional leadership qualities through outstanding community service and development. This recognition has no borders; students with exemplary contributions at the municipal, provincial, national and international level are all eligible. Refer to the Youth Leadership & Community Service Award Application Form from the I-STAR Portal for further details on requirements and adjudication criteria. Mathematics, Science & Technology Core Award Awarded to students who have excelled in the field of mathematics, sciences and technology. Refer to the Mathematics, Science & Technology Application Form from the I-STAR Portal for further details on requirements and adjudication criteria. Sports Core Award Awarded to students for outstanding achievement in the field of sports, either through exemplary participation in a sporting organization or in a supportive role, such as coaching. Refer to the Sports Application Form from the I-STAR Portal for further details on requirements and adjudication criteria. Academic Honours Recognition Awarded to students who have achieved honours. Applicants will be grouped into three categories: Honours with Distinction, Honours, and Honourable Mention. Students will be placed in one of these three categories as follows: Levels I to III - based on overall average marks: Following is a suggested guide: 74-79% — Honourable Mention 80-89% — Honours 90% + — Honours with Distinction Level IV - based thresholds established student's postgraduate Faculty. Student must have taken a minimum of 12.0 course units (4 full-year courses or 8 semester-long courses) to qualify Following is a suggested guide: GPA of 3.5-3.7 (on a 4.0 scale) - Honourable Mention 3.7-3.9 (on a 4.0 scale) - Honours 3.9-4.0 (on a 4.0 scale) - Honours with Distinction I-STAR Award Prizes A single student may win up to a maximum of one (1) Core Award per year, PLUS the Student of the Year Award. The recipient of the Student of the Year Award from each Level will receive financial awards ranging from $250 to $500. The recipient of each Regional I-STAR Core Award from each Level will receive financial awards ranging from $150 to $250. I-STAR Application Deadline In order to maintain the integrity of the event: Completed applications must be received by midnight of October 8th 2009. Incomplete Applications Will Not Be Considered. Absolutely No Extensions Will Be Granted. Applications and supporting documentation are to be uploaded online from the I-STAR Portal. In the event that a student does not have the necessary resources to upload the documentation required, he/she can contact the local Aga Khan Education Board Members for assistance. Contact information will be available shortly Adjudicators for a one Award will not have access to documentation submitted in support of another Award. Applicants must upload the full set of supporting documents for each award separately or ensure that common documents are correctly cross-linked prior to upload. I-STAR Adjudicators Academics and field experts from the community at large will serve as volunteer judges. Each volunteer's knowlege and area of expertise will be matched to a relevant Core Award. The adjudicators will be provided with the criteria on which to base the rankings. The adjudication criteria for each of the awards are available from the I-STAR Portal. I-STAR Application Forms To participate in the Regional I-STAR Award Program, please complete the relevant application form(s) from the I-STAR Portal NOTE: As adjudicators for each Award will be different, they will not be privy to documentation submitted in support of another Award Application. Therefore, it is essential that students upload the full set of supporting documents corresponding to each application that is applied for. Regional I-STAR Events More detail will be available shortly
	© 2009 Aga Khan Education Board for Canada