Wednesday, October 18, 2017

Ducks Unlimited Launches National Scholarship Program

Memphis, Tenn. – October 17, 2017 – Ducks Unlimited (DU) launched its inaugural national scholarship program offering graduating high school seniors who are DU members the opportunity to advance their education.

Starting in 2018, DU will annually award 61, one-time scholarships, funded on an annual basis through the Youth & Education Endowment, to eligible applicants at the following levels:

50 Varsity Scholarships at $500 each
10 Conservation Scholarships at $1,000 each
1 National Scholarship of $10,000
"We are very proud to be able to give back to our high school members who support DU in a variety of ways," said Doug Schoenrock, DU senior vice president and chairman of the national youth and education committee. "These young men and women have made a huge impact for our organization, and it is time for us to do the same for them."

The online application is now open and will close on Jan. 15. Applicants will need to provide their high school transcript, DU member/volunteer history and a list of any service or academic awards received. In addition, applicants will be required to write a 300-word essay describing their most memorable outdoor experience and how it has impacted their view on conservation. All applications will be reviewed by DU's National Scholarship Selection Committee and recipients will be chosen based on the merits of those submissions.

"This is an exciting time for DU and I would like to thank our volunteers and staff who have worked tirelessly to ensure the scholarship program's success," said Mark Horobetz, DU's manager of youth and education programs. "As we all know, conservation lies in the hands of future generations, and DU is invested in furthering the education of today's youth."

The list of scholarship recipients will be sent to all applicants by April 15 with awarded checks released to the student's college or university prior to registration. Recipients will be recognized in Ducks Unlimited magazine, and the national scholarship winner will be announced at the DU National Convention.

For more information visit www.ducks.org/scholarship

Ducks Unlimited Inc. is the world's largest nonprofit organization dedicated to conserving North America's continually disappearing waterfowl habitats. Established in 1937, Ducks Unlimited has conserved more than 14 million acres thanks to contributions from more than a million supporters across the continent. Guided by science and dedicated to program efficiency, DU works toward the vision of wetlands sufficient to fill the skies with waterfowl today, tomorrowand forever. For more information on our work, visit www.ducks.org.

Media Contact:
Ashley Ward
901-758-3808
award@ducks.org