Boat Rocker’s Ottawa-based animation studio, Jam Filled Entertainment, has launched a new scholarship initiative to attract diverse students to the industry.

The Jam Filled Diversity in Animation program will offer financial support and mentorship opportunities to four animation students attending a Canadian post-secondary school. Each student will receive US$2,400 (CAD$3,000) annually to help offset tuition fees and ancillary education costs, as well as career advice and networking opportunities with the Jam Filled team. The studio may also offer paid internships to the students in their final year of school.

Students need to have good grades and identify as part of an underrepresented community in order to be considered. Jam Filled is looking for applicants who are Indigenous, from racially diverse backgrounds, identify as part of the LGBTQ+ community, or have a disability. And they must be entering their second year of an animation program at Algonquin College, Sheridan College, Seneca College or Nova Scotia Community College.

The deadline for applications through the studio’s website is June 30, but Jam Filled will only consider the first 100 it receives.

Photo by Brooke Cagle on Unsplash