Spend this Earth Day by honoring what this planet has to offer and by earning some scholarship money for college.
Lately we've been talking a lot about scholarships that reward you for being good stewards of the earth. We've covered scholarships for students studying agriculture, scholarships for "going green," and now with Earth Day right around the corner—this Sunday, April 22—we thought we'd reward your earthly efforts by giving you another round of scholarships for treating Mother Earth with kindness.
[In Pictures: Colleges Promote Earth Day on Campuses.]
Did Martha Washington like to garden? A simple Google search yields mixed opinions on the matter, but there's no denying that our nation's earliest first lady was surrounded by beautiful gardens at her Mount Vernon home in Virginia.
Founded in 1935, the Martha Washington Garden Club strives to "encourage interest in all aspects of gardening" including horticulture, flower arranging, conservation, and civic beautification. One of the ways they fulfill this mission is by presenting the Jane Parr Memorial Scholarship to a student who plans to study horticulture or a related field, such as landscape architecture, forestry, conservation, or floriculture. The $2,000 scholarship is open to anyone in the United States, but winners must be able to attend the Garden Luncheon, taking place in Yardley, Pa., in June. The deadline to apply for this scholarship is April 30.
Around the year 2050, the United States population is projected to reach 438 million people, which could have serious implications for the country. Negative Population Growth is a national membership organization devoted to population issues. This year, NPG is awarding six scholarships, worth up to $2,500 each, to students who write a winning essay on how population growth will negatively affect America. Submissions must be between 500 and 750 words and are due on April 24, so get writing!
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If you're serious about pursuing a career in Environmental Studies, the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies at the University of Wisconsin—Madison may be among your top choices for college, especially because the school offers some fantastic scholarships for students enrolled in one of its programs. See which ones you may be eligible for on the list of available scholarships. Scholarships range from $500 to $2,000 each and are offered to undergrads and graduate students.
Many environmentally based scholarships are state specific, so it's important that you do a quick search for green scholarships available to students in your region. For example, the Leo Bourassa Scholarship, established by the Virginia Lakes and Watersheds Association, is open to current full-time undergraduate or graduate students in Virginia who are enrolled in a curriculum related to water resources.
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Legacy, Partners in Environmental Education provides financial assistance worth up to $2,000 to undergraduate and graduate students in Alabama who are pursuing environment-related careers.
Finally, if you live in the Midwest, check out the Steve Hansen Memorial Scholarship presented by the Midwest Renewable Energy Association. Scholarships are awarded to students who have shown prior interest or education in fields relating to improving communities, the environment, or making the world a better and more sustainable place to live. Though this year's deadline has already passed, this is a great scholarship to keep on your radar for next year.
Michelle Showalter joined Scholarship America in 2007 and is an alumna of Luther College in Decorah, Iowa.
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Robndb24 of DE 3:21PM April 29, 2013