Exploring the Impacts of a community-based post-secondary education award

Justification of research project

This project investigates the long-term impact of post-secondary education awards offered by the Edmonton Community Foundation (ECF) to low-income students with a strong record of civic engagement. It explores how these awards affect students’ access to higher education, their academic and social mobility, and their continued community involvement. Using spatial tools (GIS), surveys, and interviews, the study maps student pathways from home and high school to post-secondary education and employment. The project collaborates with the University of Alberta’s Institutional Research unit to enrich the analysis of student data by neighborhood and socioeconomic status. The findings highlight how philanthropic programs like ECF’s award can promote equity in education and influence funding practices in the sector. A new phase of research will produce publications in the Canadian Journal of Higher Education and The Foundation Review, and support further data collection, analysis, and student engagement through interviews and follow-up tracking.

Research question

How does a community foundation’s award program affect educational access, student mobility, civic engagement, and equity of opportunity among underrepresented students?

Research purpose

The study examines how post-secondary education awards offered by the Edmonton Community Foundation (ECF) impact low-income, civically engaged students. It explores how these awards influence educational access, student mobility, community participation, and long-term success. By combining spatial and qualitative analysis, the project maps the trajectories of award recipients from high school to university and beyond.

Research approach

• Geospatial analysis using GIS to track student mobility from neighborhoods to university and employment

• Quantitative survey data from 500+ award applicants (2018–2021)

• Qualitative interviews and focus groups: 45 interviews completed, with 33 more planned

• Socioeconomic overlay of student origins using census data and UAlberta application records

• Academic publications and blog development for dissemination

• Collaborative data analysis with the University of Alberta’s Institutional Research unit (PAIR)