Student bursaries awarded for non-profit work

College and university students will be able to earn a $1,000 bursary by completing an internship with an Alberta volunteer or non-profit organization.

The Serving Communities Internship Program, a partnership between the provincial government and Volunteer Alberta, will start taking applications from students this fall.

"This program is a great way to support students and organizations," Premier Ed Stelmach said in a news release.

"The organizations get access to the specialized skills they need and the students get to build their resumes while giving back to their communities."

Volunteer Alberta will work with non-profit and volunteer groups to make sure the internships give students valuable experience as well as help their organizations.

"Students need opportunities that go beyond licking stamps and filing papers. By contributing energy and enthusiasm in a meaningful way, they will move the nonprofit/voluntary sector forward," Volunteer Alberta Executive Director Karen Lynch said in the news release.

The program is open to students enrolled in any certificate, diploma, undergraduate, graduate or PhD program at one of the province's 26 publicly-funded post-secondary institutions.

Both full and part-time students can apply but they must be residents of Alberta.

The internships have to be completed within an academic year.

The program has 500 bursaries to award in the first year of the three-year pilot program.

The idea for the program came from the Alberta Students' Executive Council which is made up of student leaders from Alberta colleges, universities and technical institutes.