2024 Trailblazer Awards

For students who experience systemic barriers, the already demanding journey of design school can become that much heavier.

Together with our generous sponsors, we present the Trailblazer Awards to acknowledge and celebrate students from marginalized and underrepresented communities. It’s our hope that these Awards will help to support the winners in covering the costs of their design education and recognize their design skills, hard work and resilience.

How to apply

Students interested in applying for a Trailblazer Award can do so as part of their entries to the RGD Student Awards.

On the Student Awards submission form, entrants are asked if they wish to identify with any underrepresented or marginalized communities. Entrants who so identify themselves will be asked if they wish to be considered for a Trailblazer Award. Applying for the Trailblazer Awards is voluntary. A student can identify with an underrepresented or marginalized community and opt out of consideration if they are not interested or uncomfortable.

With the support of our existing sponsors, $6,000 in cash prizes have been allocated for the 2024 Student Trailblazer Awards. The number of Awards bestowed and how the prize money is allocated will be determined by our Judges as part of the judging process.

If you are interested in supporting this program, please contact RGD's Executive Director, Hilary Ashworth, by email at hilary@rgd.ca.

Awards sponsors

• Rethink
• lg2
• Design de Plume
• Jacknife
• Blok Design
• Partners & Hawes