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Scholarships

College Scholarships

The Educational Foundation of the Virginia Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts annually offers several $1,000 scholarships to graduating high school seniors for college study. The scholarships support studies related to natural resource conservation. The 2013 deadline to apply is March 18, 2013. Applications for students who reside in Fairfax County must be submitted to the Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District, which will select one student for consideration by the state committee.

Download the scholarship application.

Purpose

• To promote the education of Virginia citizens in technical fields associated with natural resource conservation and environmental protection.
• To give financial support to students majoring or showing a strong desire to major in a course curriculum related to natural resource conservation and/or environmental studies.

Criteria

• Individual applicants must be full-time students enrolled in or who have applied to a college freshman level curriculum.
• Applicants shall document a class ranking in the top 20% of his/her graduating class or a 3.0 or greater Grade Point Average, or appropriate equivalent of individual scholastic achievement. The most recent official high school or college transcript must accompany the application. (The official transcript may be sent separately, but must arrive by the March 19 deadline.)
• Applicants shall demonstrate an active interest in conservation and the environment. Applications are evaluated with regard to all sections of the scholarship application, including scholastic achievement, extra-curricular and leadership activities, financial considerations, employment and volunteer work, letters of reference and the essays.
• Three letters of reference must be attached, or, if sent separately, must arrive by the March 18 deadline.
• Applications will be reviewed by local and state panels and all applications and information contained therein shall remain confidential.

Amount Awarded

• Four $1,000 scholarships will be awarded statewide this year.
• Checks will be issued to the selected school in each student's name.

Deadlines

March 18, 2013

Applications returned to local conservation district. Students living in Fairfax County submit applications by U.S. mail to the Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District (NVSWCD). Each of the 47 soil and water conservation districts in the state may nominate one applicant.

Northern Virginia Soil & Water Conservation District
12055 Government Center Parkway, Suite 905, Fairfax, VA 22035

March 29, 2013

Application selected by NVSWCD evaluation committee is forwarded to the Virginia Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts scholarship committee.

May 6, 2013

Scholarship winners announced.

College Scholarship Application

Scholarship Application in Microsoft Word format

To have an application sent to you via U.S. mail or in an alternative format, call 703-324-1460, TTY 711 or email NVSWCD.

Youth Conservation Camp

"It is hard to believe that we explored such an amazing spectrum of conservation topics in just one week. Each day was filled with activities. It was so wonderful to be with campers, counselors, and scientists who shared an intense interest in environmental sciences. Every day was an awesome learning experience for me and a fun one at that!"

Amanda Harbison, Past Youth Conservation Camper

For over 35 years, the Virginia Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts has sponsored a week long summer conservation camp in July for Virginia high school students on the campus of Virginia Tech. The program brings together about 70 interested students for a week of learning about Virginia's natural resources from conservation professionals and faculty from Virginia Tech. Most of the instruction is hands-on and outdoors. Youth Conservation Camp is a selective program and interested students must send their application to their local Soil and Water Conservation District.

Each year, the Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District receives applications, makes selections and offers a partial scholarship to students who will attend Youth Conservation Camp. The total cost of camp is usually around $550, including meals, lodging, activities, and transport during camp. Students are responsible for obtaining their own means of transportation to and from Virginia Tech from their homes.

Youth Conservation Camp is a wonderful experience that has brought enjoyment and environmental education to generations of students. For a camp schedule and highlights, please see the Virginia Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts' camp website at http://www.vaswcd.org/youthcamp.htm.

We are now accepting applications for 2013 Youth Conservation Camp, which will be held from July 14-20, 2013. Application Deadline: April 29, 2013. We encourage you to download an application form and mail it to:

Youth Conservation Camp, c/o Northern VA Soil and Water Conservation District,
12055 Government Center Parkway, Suite 905, Fairfax, Virginia 22035.

You may also submit the application by email with "Youth Conservation Camp Application" in the subject line. We look forward to receiving your application!