SEEDS Offers $1000 Scholarship for Best Sustainability Essay

April 26, 2019

SEEDS (Sustainable Energy Education and Development Support) of Northeastern PA will award a $1000 scholarship to a college-bound high school senior (Pennsylvania resident) for the best essay about the following:

“In what ways does our consumption of non-renewable energy sources affect the health and well-being of the Earth and its lifeforms? How does developing “clean” energy alternatives contribute to a more sustainable future? What practices have you seen in your community that indicate we’re going in the right or wrong direction? What information would you provide to educate people? What tools and strategies would you employ to accomplish this, both locally and beyond?”

The scholarship honors the memory of Michael “Jake” Burkhardt, Western Wayne Class of 2015, who loved life, his family, his community and the environment and worked with SEEDS as a high school student.

Local high school seniors, including homeschooled students, are encouraged to submit their essay via email to scholarship@seedsgroup.net on or before 8:00 pm Sunday, May 19, 2019. The essay may be in the text of the email or in a Microsoft Word file, and should be between 600 and 1600 words in length. Seniors from Western Wayne High School, Honesdale High School, Wallenpaupack Area High School, and Canaan Christian Academy are eligible, as well as home-schooled seniors who reside within the areas covered by those high schools are eligible.

Entries will be reviewed by a panel of SEEDS volunteers based on the responsiveness to the topic, the persuasiveness, logic, and cohesiveness of the ideas presented, and other criteria that the panel considers appropriate. Incorrect grammar and spelling will not be viewed favorably, and plagiarism will disqualify an essay. Any statistics cited in the essay need to be referenced by citing the sources. The panel members will review the essays without having access to the students’ information or names. The winner will be notified the following week. Scholarship funds will be issued directly to the college specified by the student.

Applications must include:

1. Name
2. Address
3. Email Address
4. Phone number(s)
5. Parent/Guardian Name(s) and Address
6. Current High School (or “Home-schooled” if that is the case)
7. Proposed Field of Study
8. Name of College you will be attending in the fall
9. Essay

The winner cannot be related to any SEEDS staff or board members. By submitting an essay, you are agreeing that SEEDS can use the essay or excerpts from it for publication or other uses, with your name as the author, with your image. Winners will be encouraged to attend an informal meeting with the SEEDS volunteers during the month of July.

SEEDS (Sustainable Energy Education and Development Support) of Northeastern PA is a local nonprofit environmental education organization that promotes energy efficiency, renewable energy and sustainable living in the Upper Delaware region. Our goals include improving the health of our environment and local economy through energy efficiency and sustainability practices such as recycling. For more information, visit www.seedsgroup.net or call 570-0245-1256 or email Sandy@seedsgroup.net