11-19-19 WGCD Announces 2020 Conservation Scholarship Opportunities

West Greeley Conservation District (WGCD) hosts a scholarship award program annually for eligible graduating high school seniors whose families live within WGCD boundaries and are taxpayers to the District.

Applicants must be planning to be full-time students attending a Colorado institution of higher learning and studying agriculture, conservation and related degree fields. Students must be graduating with a 3.0 or better grade point average.  Scholarship Application packets must be received by 4 p.m. Friday, March 20^th. The Scholarship award is $5,000 per student.

– A map showing our District boundaries can be found at:

http://www.wgcd.org/conservation-education/college-scholarships/

– You can check your home address at the County Assessor’s site: https://www.co.weld.co.us/apps1/propertyportal/ to see if your family pays WGCD taxes.

Scholarship selection is based on the student’s demonstrated:

▪ Scholastic ability, having earned a 3.0 or better (on a 4.0 scale)

▪ Academic commitment to studies in a conservation related fields such as:

Natural Resources                                           Environmental Studies

         Agriculture                                                       Animal Science

        Water                                                                 Forestry

        Agribusiness                                                      GeoScience, etc.

▪ Financial need

▪ Extracurricular activities, volunteer service and/or conservation projects that impact

Weld County

The application process includes:

• Filling out the application form found at: http://www.wgcd.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/WGCD-SCHOLARSHIP-application-form-2020-21.pdf
• Composing a typed 2-page personal essay that addresses the importance of agriculture and conservation to the student and summarizes their school and community activities and accomplishments
• A summary of their career goals
• A complete up-to-date high school transcript
• Two confidential, sealed letters of character reference/recommendation from someone NOT related to the applicant must be mailed, at the time the student applies to also arrive via mail before March 20, 2020 to:

West Greeley Conservation District

Attn: Scholarship

4302 W. 9^th St. Rd.

Greeley, CO 80634

Or they can email them to: kristi.helzer@wgcd.org with the student’s last name in the subject line. They must be received prior to the deadline.

These letters should speak to the potential scholarship recipient’s personal, civic and academic accomplishments. They can be from a teacher, principal, advisor, neighbor, employer, counselor, or parent of a friend (but not from a family member).

• Applicant might be contacted for an interview

West Greeley Conservation District (WGCD) will accept submissions from:

• Incoming College Freshman
• Renewal (these are available to qualifying past Freshman scholarship recipients)

The students who are selected will be notified on or before April 26^th with every effort being made to notify their school prior to high school graduation.  Scholarship winners must notify WGCD of intent to refuse or accept the scholarship no later than June 3^rd.

Completed applications can be emailed to kristi.helzer@wgcd.org and must include your application, essay, goals, transcript(s) and in the email subject line state the category/level of the scholarship you are applying for along with your last name in All CAPS. Your two personal character reference letters should be postmarked the same day you email your packet to WGCD to arrive by Friday, March 20, 2020.

WGCD honored 12 students last year who met their criteria; each received $5,000.