Dear students,

Welcome back to school! We hope you had a refreshing summer break, and that you’re enthusiastic to be back on campus for another year of discovery.

We are eager to connect (or reconnect!) with you at such an exciting time in your professional development, and look forward to supporting your professional journey. As part of our Strategic Plan—1,835 Days of Impact, we are committed to providing you with Career Support for Life today and every day.

This newsletter offers just some of the latest news and opportunities available exclusively to CIP members, including information on how to get involved in the 2024 national planning conference.

For more CIP updates, make sure to follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, or Threads. Thank you for choosing to be part of CIP!

Member Benefits

CIP is here to help you at every stage of your planning career – and that starts in the classroom! 

We are proud to continue offering free membership to ALL post-secondary students, no matter your field of study. As a student member, make sure to take advantage of everything that CIP has to offer. Here’s just some of what’s included with your membership:

  • Free digital subscription to Plan Canada magazine
  • Free registration to webinars and access to recordings in the CPL HUB
  • Discounts to our National Conference featuring a full student program
  • Access to job and internship postings from employers across Canada through the CIP National Job Board
  • Free subscription to ZoningTrilogy.com (value of $99/year)
  • Professional development and relationship-building opportunities
  • Plus, students in accredited planning programs are eligible for CIP/ICU Planning Student Trust Fund (CIP-PSTF) scholarships – $18,000 per year!

For more information on what’s included as part of your membership, please visit the CIP member benefits page. Please share this information with your friends and classmates!

Start the Semester with our Membership Info Sessions!

Whether you’re a new member of CIP or looking for more information on our programs, we encourage you to join us for a short information session to explore the benefits of CIP membership. Sessions will be offered in both English and French – register today for free!

French: Wednesday, September 27 at 12:30 p.m. ET | Register

English: Thursday, September 28 at 12:30 p.m. ET | Register

Get Involved

CONNECTION 2024 – Student Call for Proposals

CIP and the Alberta Professional Planners Institute (APPI) are pleased to share that the call for proposals for the 2024 national planning conference is now open!

CONNECTION is CIP and APPI’s joint national conference, which will be held in Edmonton, AB from July 9-11, 2024. As part of the conference programming, we are thrilled to offer a presentation and poster stream exclusively for students. By presenting at CONNECTION, you can showcase your planning projects and research to hundreds of professionals from across the country!

To learn more about CONNECTION, or to submit your presentation or poster proposal, please consult the call for proposals document.

Scholarships & Bursaries

Planning Student Scholarships

CIP student members who are enrolled in accredited planning programs benefit from exclusive access to scholarships offered by the CIP/ICU Planning Student Trust Fund (CIP-PSTF). 

CIP-PSTF serves as the Canadian planning profession’s national charity, helping the next generation of aspiring planners to excel in their studies and embark on successful careers. $18,000 in scholarships are awarded annually to planning students!

Bonus: The Ages Foundation Travel Awards program enables CIP-PSTF scholarship recipients to attend CIP’s annual national conference at no cost. Not only do recipients get to celebrate their achievements in person, they also benefit from free conference sessions, travel, accommodations, and meals!

Save the date – the next scholarship cycle opens on Wednesday, December 20! Learn more about the CIP-PSTF on their website.

In addition to the CIP-PSTF scholarship program, there are many other opportunities to help fund your planning studies!

College of Fellows Indigenous Planning Student Award

The College of Fellows Indigenous Planning Student Award was established to better include Indigenous professional voices in Canadian planning practices. This award provides $5,000 to an Indigenous student enrolled in an accredited Canadian planning program.

This award is administered by Indspire and made possible with the generous financial support of Urban Systems and the CIP College of Fellows.

The College of Fellows Indigenous Planning Student Award’s next cycle closes on November 1. For more information or to apply, please visit the Indspire website.

Provincial and Territorial Scholarships and Bursaries

Students can also benefit from access to scholarships and bursaries by becoming a member of their Provincial and Territorial Institute and Association (PTIA). 

CIP strongly encourages all members to join their PTIA. This gives you additional opportunities to form connections and access resources from the planning communities closest to you! Find your PTIA by visiting the CIP website.

Learning Opportunities & Resources

Visit the CIP Events Calendar!

As part of your CIP student membership, you can enjoy access to a wide variety of planning-related events and webinars. The Events Calendar makes these easy to find, hosting CIP and PTIA event listings in one central location.

There’s lots to look forward to in the coming months. Here’s just some of our upcoming programming!

Learn more about these events—and many others—by exploring the CIP Events Calendar.

Expand Your Planning Knowledge with CIP’s Continuous Professional Learning HUB

Did you know? Your membership also includes access to the Continuous Professional Learning (CPL) HUB!

Offering an expansive catalogue of recorded webinars and conference presentations, resources, and documents, the HUB is an invaluable resource throughout your planning studies and beyond. Log in to the CIP Member Area today to visit the CPL HUB!

Explore the Canadian Planning and Policy Journal

Canadian Planning and Policy is an open-access, peer-reviewed, bilingual online journal published by CIP and the Association of Canadian University Planning Programs. The journal publishes articles from a wide range of regional and disciplinary perspectives that reflect the scope of planning theory and practice in Canada.

Bookmark the Canadian Planning and Policy journal today to use in your planning studies!

Take Advantage of VIU Library’s Expansive Plan Canada Archive

Use Vancouver Island University’s online archive of Plan Canada magazine in your coursework and research. All issues are open access and provide historical context about the planning profession in Canada with issues in the collection dating back to 1959.

CIP’s National Job Board

CIP National Job Board – Explore the Possibilities!

As part of our commitment to offering you Career Support for Life, CIP is proud to host the National Job Board. Here, you can browse student positions and internship opportunities, as well as entry-level and recent graduate postings!

Bookmark this page and build a Job Board profile today to help with future applications.

CIP Student Representatives

Our work to support you in your planning studies would not be possible without our network of Student Representatives.

CIP Student Representatives connect students in accredited Canadian planning programs to the benefits and services offered by CIP, helping students to make the most of their membership and succeed in their planning careers.

We would like to offer a sincere thank you to each of our Student Representatives for their role in supporting planning students and the profession at large.

Know anyone at school who may be interested in joining the Canadian Institute of Planners? Send them this blog!