Wednesday, April 22, 2015

Bedford Audubon Society Announces 2015 Scholarship

Bedford Audubon Society is pleased to announce the availability of the 2015 Marty McGuire Scholarship. The Scholarship, of a maximum of $1,000, is given in honor of Marty McGuire of Putnam County, who died in a car accident in August of 2007. Marty was an active and enthusiastic young birder and conservationist filled with a love of nature.

The Marty McGuire Scholarship enhances student awareness and promotes a commitment to conservation sciences, particularly field-oriented environmental studies. The funds may be used to either underwrite a student research project, materials, or other project-related expenses; or to promote a course of study.

Eligibility
Eligible applicants must be:

Students that are 14 to 18 years old.
Living or studying or living in the school districts served by Bedford Audubon (please

refer to www.bedfordaudubon.org/area).
In addition, applicants must meet at least one of the following criteria:

The student is currently or has previously been engaged in conservation research or in environmental studies.

The student is currently participating or has previously participated in conservation or environmental internships or volunteerism.

The student plans to study environmental science or a similar field at the college level.

Scholarship Application

There are three parts to the application. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Application. Applications may be received electronically by Bedford Audubon's Executive Director Janelle Robbins at jrobbins@bedfordaudubon.org until midnight May 18, 2015, hand-delivered to Bedford Audubon's offices by 5pm on May 18, 2015, or postmarked and mailed to the address below by May 18, 2015. If you email your application, please name the file in this format: LastNameFirstInital MMSA - 2015.docx. For example, RobbinsJ MMSA - 2015.docx.

Letter of Recommendation. Mail a sealed letter of recommendation from your science research teacher or internship/volunteer supervisor with their signature across the envelope flap. If you are not currently enrolled in a science research course, a recommendation from one of your past or present science teachers or adult supervisor familiar with your passion for conservation will suffice. The recommendation must be hand-delivered to Bedford Audubon's offices by 5pm on May 18, 2015, or postmarked and mailed to the address below by May 18, 2015.

Parental Release. Complete the attached parental release to the address below. The release must be hand-delivered to Bedford Audubon's offices by 5pm on May 18, 2015, or postmarked and mailed to the address below by May 18, 2015.

Bedford Audubon Society
Attn: Marty McGuire Scholarship Committee 35 Todd Road
Katonah, New York 10536

Scholarship Timeline

May 1, 2015: Scholarship applications received or mailed.

May 18, 2015: Applicants notified of Scholarship Committee's decision by email. The Scholarship Recipient will need to complete an IRS W-9 tax form prior to the receipt of funds.

June 10, 2015: The Scholarship will be awarded at Bedford Audubon's monthly lecture at the Katonah Village Library at 7pm.

June 10, 2016: A copy of the submitted Science Research paper or written summary of how the Scholarship funds were used and the impact of the funding must be submitted to the Scholarship Committee one year from the date of receipt of funds. Photos and videos are encouraged. Reports may be published on Bedford Audubon's website, included in media advisories, or other materials.

Learn more at: http://bedfordaudubon.org/McGuire-Scholarship-2015.pdf