With Canadian students gearing up to return to classes, the Automotive Industries Association (AIA) of Canada is pleased to announce that its successful scholarship program is now part of the AIA High Fives for Kids Foundation activities.

“For more than 30 years, the scholarship program has offered hundreds of thousands of dollars to support students pursuing careers in the automotive aftermarket. While making a meaningful difference in the lives of the recipients, the program also helped shape the future of the sector,” said Jean François Champagne, President of AIA Canada.

As part of this new funding structure, the Foundation is excited to establish a new scholarship that would assist children of AIA Canada members in their educational pursuits not necessarily in the automotive field.

The new AIA Canada High Fives for Kids Scholarship will award successful candidates five grants of $1,000 and it is open to the children of full time employees at active AIA Canada member companies. The selection criteria and the deadline for application are available online and include academic achievement, skill, extracurricular involvement, and special abilities.

“Through the High Fives for Kids Foundation, AIA Canada’s members raise thousands of dollars for children’s charities all across the country,” said Luciana Nechita, Executive Director of the Foundation. “This scholarship is a way for us to give back to our members whose hard work makes the Foundation a success.”

In addition to this new scholarship, the Foundation also administers three other scholarship programs:

• The University of the Aftermarket Foundation Scholarship Program
• Arthur Paulin Automotive Aftermarket Scholarship Program
• Divisions’ Scholarship Program

“We’re proud to be offering these scholarship opportunities,” said Ray Proulx, KYB America, the Foundation Board Chair. “Our mandate at the Foundation is to give children and youth opportunities for a better life. Education is one of the best ways to help provide these positive outcomes.”