Dustin Pidborochynski Memorial Scholarship Fund

The Dustin Pidborochynski Memorial Scholarship Fund was originally established in 2019 with Skills Canada NWT, in memory of Dustin (Dusty) Pidborochynski. Dusty was a journeyman welder, a avid supporter of trades and apprenticeship programs, who sadly lost his life just weeks after being hired as the welding instructor at Ecole St. Patrick’s High School. In 2023, the Fund was transferred from Skills Canada NWT to the Yellowknife Community Foundation to support the longevity of the Fund and enhance its accessibility, for NWT students pursuing an apprenticeship. 

Family and friends would say that Dusty was wise beyond his years and always willing to lend a hand. He was teaching in everything that he did and never took the easy way out. In the year before he passed he had enjoyed coaching young welders and was volunteering his time as a welding technical expert for Skills Canada NWT’s territorial skills competition.

$1000

Please note that award amounts vary year by year.

In order to be eligible to apply for the Dustin Pidborochynski Memorial Scholarship Fund, you must be:

• A resident of the Northwest Territories for at least 12 consecutive months.
• A registered apprentice in the Northwest Territories currently pursuing an apprenticeship training program.

All of our scholarship application forms and additional materials need to be submitted on our scholarship application portal. 

• You will complete a questionnaire describing your goals related to the trades field and your career, where you are currently employed and your schooling information, whether your apprenticeship training is compensated from your employer or others.
• You will provide the email address of a reference to support your application.  Your reference can be a teacher, coach, instructor, etc. We will email your reference a recommendation form to fill out.

You must be an eligible resident to apply for a scholarship.
As such, YKCF requires you to make a residency declaration and have a witness sign off.
However, you do not need to print out any forms!
Each residency declaration is a one-click question embedded within the application process.
You just need to provide the email address of your residency witness, and they will be emailed directly.

You can only apply through our online application portal. In 2024, the application portal opens on April 2nd.

Access it here: https://www.grantinterface.ca/Home/Logon?urlkey=yellowknifescholarship

Mailed and emailed applications will not be accepted barring extreme circumstances.

If you have more questions, check back to our FAQs on our scholarship page!

• 2023 Kylar Villebrun, Donovan McLeod