MENSA - SLI The Sidney Ledson School

Mensa Scholarship Program

Mensa Affiliation

Sidney Ledson Institute is a proud supporter of Mensa Canada’s Gifted Youth Group platform, which serves to fulfill the aligned goals of supporting intellectual stimulation for motivated youth with high potential. SLI’s history with Mensa and IQ-inclusive administration practice began with the school’s founder, Sidney Ledson, a member of Mensa’s Ottawa chapter. With a determination to provide a “different type of education,” Ledson structured an unprecedented pedagogical approach that included IQ-raising activities for students as young as Preschool-age. The merits of his methods are proven each year, as GORT reading scores reveal the average SLI student’s abilities to be multiple grade-levels ahead of the norm. Given the advanced learning capabilities that are cultivated and catered to for students from an early age, applicants with IQs in the top percentiles typically thrive with the unique opportunities presented for unhindered academic acceleration and community leadership.

With this understanding in mind, our current VP/ Executive Board Member, Jasmine Kara, began work with Mensa Canada’s Gifted Youth Committee in 2019. In supporting a vision to make access to SLI’s top-tier accelerated learning opportunities more equitable, Kara worked closely with the Chair of the GYC and Mensa Canada’s Past President to build on the national platform and develop new initiatives to benefit youth across Canada. Modeling virtual network and activity frameworks on SLI’s online administration, Kara succeeded in working with the GYC to launch Mensa Canada’s first-ever Youth Annual Gathering event series in July of 2021. Kara has recently been recognized for her service on the Gifted Youth Committee; in July 2021, Kara was honored with Mensa Canada’s President’s Award, presented by Mensa Canada’s current President, Marjorie Bentley.

Further to facilitating these nation-wide non-profit opportunities that would supplement socio-academic stimulation for members of the Gifted Youth Group, Kara has worked together with SLI’s current principal, Rumina Shivji, to launch the Mensa Scholarship Program. In June of 2021, Shivji announced that all Mensan youth members that satisfy all other SLI admission requirements may apply to receive a 10% tuition scholarship for any academic-year or summer program sessions.

Who is Eligible for the Mensa Canada Scholarship?

This scholarship is offered to international applicants between 1.5 years and 11 years of age. Applicants may be members of any country’s Mensa organization to be eligible. As our 2021 Summer sessions and our 2021-2022 academic year program are offered both, on-campus and online, students do not need to reside in Toronto to apply or attend.

How to Apply for the Mensa Scholarship

If you are a Mensa Youth member and you have received an acceptance letter from SLI, you may email admissions@sidneyledsoninstitute.ca to notify the SLI Admissions Committee of your Mensan membership (provide nation of membership and member number for verification). Upon verification of membership, the scholarship will be applied on annual tuition.

How to Apply for Mensa Membership

Mensa Canada Membership

Click here to apply for Mensa Canada membership.

*Note: Mensa Canada now offers an admission test for youth that are of age 10 and up (prior evidence will not be necessary for Mensa Canada membership should youth applicants pass the Mensa Canada youth admission test).

To join Mensa Canada’s Gifted Youth Group, parents or youth must be members of Mensa Canada. To join or inquire about the Gifted Youth Group, email gyc@mensacanada.org . Please note, although youth may be eligible to join the GYG by association of their parents’ Mensan membership, they must, themselves, be members of Mensa to be eligible for the SLI Mensa Scholarship.