We recently interviewed Nick Tanchuk about his role in founding the Dr. Brian M. Keenan Fund at The Winnipeg Foundation. Nick is a full time Grade 6 teacher at Victoria Albert School in downtown Winnipeg. He is currently completing his honours thesis in Philosophy at the University of Winnipeg.
Who was involved in setting up the Dr. Brian M. Keenan Prize and why did they do it?
The Dr. Brian M. Keenan Prize was Neil Shah’s idea. When he made the mistake of expressing it over breakfast at the Garwood Grill, Dylan Procter, Aaron Russin, Carly Scramstad and I pounced. Collectively we shared an interest, spurred by Dr. Keenan, in the possibility that philosophical thought could improve public life.
The prize became a catalyst for this shared commitment, a way to critically engage with a broader Canadian political discourse and to honour the unorthodox teacher who inspired this concern in each of us.
From Left to right: Carly Scramstad, Dylan Procter, Aaron Russin, Neil Shah, Nick Tanchuk and Brian Keenan
What was it like choosing the first scholarship recipient and how did he or she react?
In the first year of the prize we were pleased to receive 42 papers from 16 schools across Canada. In the second year we received 51 papers, again from PEI to Victoria.
Each board member is responsible for advancing her or his top three selections from an allotted portion of the anonymous stack. Collectively we read all of the ‘long-list’ papers and then argued until we agreed which five should go to Dr. Keenan as the official short list
Our first prize winner, Michael Anthony of the University of Victoria, was excited to be a part of an independent award created by students to support other students. Michael discussed his paper Immanent Humanity: Re-evaluating individual responsibility, liability, and immunity in times of war with Dr. Keenan upon receipt of the award and enjoyed fielding questions from our former teacher. Michael has since used the funds from the award to support his pursuit of graduate studies at the University of Victoria.
As a board member and part funder of the prize, it was deeply satisfying to know that a fellow student would receive support from the Dr. Brian M. Keenan Prize to continue his studies regarding issues of importance.
What are the criteria for the prize and how can students apply?
A detailed listing of our criteria for the prize can be found here: Dr. Brian M. Keenan Prize – Criteria. Students can apply online directly through the Dr. Brian M. Keenan Prize website by following the steps listed here: Dr. Brian M. Keenan Prize – Submission.
I understand you are accepting donations to grow this scholarship fund, how can people help?
Currently each board member supports the amount awarded in the prize by chipping in a fifth of the $1250 total. We are currently building an endowment fund to support the award in perpetuity and potentially grow the award itself. Contributions to the Dr. Brian M. Keenan Fund through The Winnipeg Foundation are welcomed.
Click here to support the Dr. Brian M. Keenan Fund at The Winnipeg Foundation.
Tags: charitable giving, community foundations, education, scholarships
