Northwest Territories, Canada—Amidst wildfire and mass evacuation, the Mine Training Society and Diamonds Do Good® announced good news for five students from Canada’s Northwest Territories (NWT). They were selected to receive 2023 scholarships from the non-profit Diamonds Do Good® to advance their chosen career paths. At the time of notification, all scholarship winners were safe in other parts of Canada after having had to evacuate out of the territory due to the extreme conditions caused by the wildfires.
The Diamonds Do Good® Scholarship program is the result of a partnership started in 2018 between the international Diamonds Do Good® organization and the Mine Training Society. The scholarship program was established to support youth living in the region of the NWT diamond mines, to pursue either trades training or post-secondary education in business, management, STEM, health care, or mental health fields. Canada is the third largest producer of natural diamonds in the world.
Nancy Orem Lyman, Executive Director of Diamonds Do Good®, says, “We are supported by the natural diamond industry to give back to the very areas where natural diamonds are found. We are thrilled to have identified young scholarship recipients who exemplify our mission, especially during this difficult time brought on by the wildfires.”
Diamonds Do Good® led the selection process with the following five youth receiving scholarships each worth $5,000:
Monique Chapman
Monique has worked in the Environment Department at the Ekati Diamond mine and now is pursuing a specialized master’s degree in science communication and public engagement. This will help her serve as an interface between scientific results and Indigenous communities.
Max Dragon
Max, who is a member of the Smith’s Landing First Nation, is pursuing a Bachelor of Commerce degree with a specialization in Finance and Entrepreneurship. His goal is to use his education and training to nurture fellow entrepreneurs to build a vibrant local business environment that offers sustainable solutions to socio-economic challenges faced by the community.
Christopher Mathison
Christopher is a biomedical engineer student who is combining engineering, biology, and medicine to improve healthcare in the NWT. He plans on getting his medical degree and becoming a pediatrician or emergency doctor, two specialties considered a priority for PracticeNWT.
Johanna Stewart
Johanna’s work with climate change and wildlife is meaningful and important in promoting sustainable use of the NWT’s natural resources, including diamonds. She received a stellar recommendation for her work from the Manager of the Wildlife Management Division of the Government of the Northwest Territories.
Hayley Tait
Hayley’s master’s degree in public health with a concentration in Indigenous People’s Health is a much-needed field given the shortage of qualified public health professionals in this area and in particular those who share the northern experience of being born and raised in the North. This is especially important for the NWT communities that surround the Ekati, Diavik and Gaucho Kué diamond mines.
About Diamonds Do Good:
Diamonds Do Good is the industry’s global grant-giving organization solely representing natural diamonds. Its mission is to support education, healthcare and entrepreneurship programs in communities where natural diamonds are mined, cut and polished and to tell these stories of positive impact https://www.diamondsdogood.com
About the Mine Training Society: The Mine Training Society connects Northerners with careers in the mining industry, working with key partners in the mining sector, Indigenous governments and organizations, and federal and territorial governments. Since our inception in 2003, the Mine Training Society has evolved into much more than a vehicle for delivering training programs. We evaluate, train and place Northerners in mining and mining-related jobs. We also provide hands-on mentoring and job coaching to our clients throughout their careers.
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For more information, please contact:
Nancy Orem Lyman
Executive Director, Diamonds Do Good
Email: n.lyman@diamondsdogood.org
Phone: (914) 319-9141
Annemieke Mulders
General Manager, Mine Training Society
Email: communications@minetraining.ca
Phone: 1 (867) 447-0918