A competition is held each year to select the Esri Young Scholar for Canada. Any student enrolled full-time in an undergraduate or graduate program at a Canadian college or university who has completed a project or research using Esri technology is eligible to apply. Applications are reviewed by a panel comprising academic and business members. Judging criteria include content as well as design and presentation.
2026 Competition
Esri Canada is pleased to announce the 2026 Esri Young Scholars Award program. The award is available to any student currently enrolled at a Canadian university or college, subject to certain terms and conditions.
Deadline
Monday, February 23, 2026, 8 p.m. EST
Prizes
- 1st Place: Complimentary registration for the Education Summit @ Esri UC and Esri User Conference; airfare to and from San Diego; hotel and per diem for their stay in San Diego; an acrylic award; and an ArcGIS for Personal Use license.
- 2nd Place: $500 bursary
- Esri Press eBooks may be awarded to meritorious students at the discretion of the judges.
Submission requirements
- A story map that highlights the objectives, methods and results of your use of Esri technology.
- A personal statement describing your experience with GIS, your future plans using GIS, and why you want to attend the Esri UC.
- Academic transcripts for all post-secondary education.
- A letter of support from an instructor or faculty member familiar with your work and your experience with GIS.
- Contact and enrollment information.
- Consent for Esri Canada to use your submitted work and your name. You retain intellectual property rights to the work.
Consult the announcement and FAQs for more details. See also the Guidelines for Summary Report for tips on creating your story map.
Submission process
Applications are to be submitted through the ArcGIS Survey123 form linked below. The form will be available from December 5, 2025, to February 23, 2026. Please ensure you have all the required documents and that your story map is public before completing the form.
All applicants must consent to Esri Canada’s use of their story map and to their name being published in any media promoting the Esri Young Scholars Award and the results of the competition in Canada but may add comments or limitations regarding the consent to use in the application form. The applicant retains intellectual property rights to their work.
Judging
Submissions will be evaluated based on:
- Content: Are the goals, methodology and results of the project presented clearly in the story map?
- Design: Is the story map format used effectively to engage the audience? Does it include maps, diagrams, images and other media to support the text?
- Overall merit: Has the student demonstrated exemplary work in geospatial sciences?