ZooMontana Impact Scholarship
(formally Earth Heroes Scholarship)
Overview:
The ZooMontana Impact Scholarship is a non-renewable scholarship that honors individual graduating Montana high school seniors, middle school classrooms and elementary schools for their outstanding efforts to help our planet. In 2011, ZooMontana is awarding one individual high school scholarship for $2500, one middle school classroom award for $500 and one elementary school award for $500. The high school of the individual winner will also receive $500 for their science department. Recipients for middle school awards will be announced April 25, 2011. Individual high school winners will be announced April 29, 2011. Elementary School awards will be announced May 16, 2011.
Minimum Eligibility Criteria
For High School Students
Recipients must attend a school or be home-schooled in Yellowstone, Stillwater, Musselshell or Carbon Counties in Montana
The student must graduate in 2011 and intend to enter a post-secondary school within one year of graduation.
The student has created and completed a community conservation project during their junior or senior year of high school.
The student has maintained a GPA of at least 3.0 during their high school career.
For Middle School Classrooms
School must be located in Yellowstone, Stillwater, Musselshell or Carbon county Montana
The classroom must create a presentation that offers a solution to a local conservation problem.
For Elementary Schools
School must be located in Yellowstone, Stillwater, Musselshell or Carbon county Montana
School must save receipts from their aluminum recycling efforts
Deadlines:
For High School Students
Applications must be received by March 30, 2011
For Middle Schools
Presentations must be received by April 15, 2011
For Elementary Schools
Recycling receipts must be organized and received by May 1, 2011
Applications/Presentations received after the deadlines will not be considered.
About the Zoo:
For the past two decades ZooMontana has strived to be a community and regional conservation leader. Leading by example and through educational programming ZooMontana hopes to create, develop and nurture conservation efforts in Montana and beyond. Through visitor experiences with our captive wildlife as well as encounters with local flora and fauna ZooMontana promotes a love of animals, plants and our planet through positive and enjoyable experiences. In 2010 ZooMontana raised its admission prices by 25 cents in order to create a scholarship fund to encourage local future stewards of our planet. It is the zoo’s hope that scholarship and award recipients go forth to make a positive impact on our planet individually, in their community and perhaps even beyond.
How to Apply:
For High School Students
Complete the application packet prior to the March 30, 2011 deadline. Mail or deliver all application materials to 2100 S. Shiloh Rd. Billings, MT 59106
For Middle School Classrooms
Complete the application packet prior to the April 15, 2011 deadline and deliver it along with your presentation to 2100 S. Shiloh Rd. Billings, MT 59106
For Elementary Schools
Turn in recycling receipts, total weight recycled and number of students in the school by May 1, 2011 to 2100 S. Shiloh Rd. Billings, MT 59106
Selection Process
The ZooMontana Scholarship selection committee will select recipients based on the following criteria:
For High School Students
Impact
How much of an impact did this project make in our community/for our planet?
Sustainability
Will this project continue after the student has surrendered their leadership?
Leadership
Did the student demonstrate leadership qualities in the implementation of this project?
Community Involvement
How did this project involve the community as a whole?
For Middle School Classrooms
Impact
How much of an impact would this project have in the community if carried out?
Feasibility
Is the project realistic and feasible?
Community Involvement
Does the project involve the community?
Visitor Voting
Presentations will be displayed at the zoo and voted on by the visiting public. Votes will help to determine the winning project.
For Elementary Schools
The winning school will have the highest percentage of recycled aluminum per student by weight.
Application Checklist:
A complete packet must contain the following items: (incomplete packets will not be considered)
For High School Students
Completed Student Information Form
Completed Project Information Form
1 Letter of recommendation from an adult who is aware of your conservation efforts
Photographs of your project
For Middle School Classrooms
Completed School Information Form
Poster or Science Board that describes your conservation solution for the community
For Elementary Schools
Recycling Receipts
Total Weight of Recycled Aluminum
Total School Enrollment
INFORMATION FOR SCHOOLS
For High School Students
ZooMontana is awarding a $2500 scholarship to an individual high school graduating senior who has been a leader in conservation efforts in their community. In addition to the individual scholarship the school of the recipient will receive $500 for their science department.
For Middle School Classrooms
ZooMontana is awarding $500 to a middle school classroom who develops an idea to solve a conservation problem in their community. The idea must be able to be implemented with reasonable cost and effort. In order to apply the classroom must develop a presentation that explains their idea to be submitted to the zoo. Ideas must be student driven.
For Elementary Schools
ZooMontana is awarding $500 to the elementary school that recycles the highest percentage of aluminum per student for the 2010-2011 school year. Recycling efforts can be organized as the schools sees fit, however, all receipts for recycling efforts must be accounted for.
STUDENT INFORMATION FORM (High School Applicants)
Name:
Mailing Address:
Age: Telephone: E-Mail:
School Currently Attending: Cumulative GPA:
Graduation Date:
How did you hear about this award?
Future Plans
Colleges you have applied to or will apply:
When do you plan to attend?
Planned Major/Focus of Study
What types of careers interest you most?
What do you see yourself doing in 5 years? 10 years?
PROJECT INFORMATION FORM (High School Applicants)
Project Title:
Project Location:
Date Project Began:
Describe your project:
Did others help you with the project? Who and how?
What did your project cost?
Did your project generate any money? What did you do with the earnings?
What sort of impact did your project have in the community?
How did your project impact our planet?
What did you learn from the project?
Will your project continue after you have graduated? How?
Project Ideas:
Recycling Programs
Gardening/planting efforts
Clean-up projects
Water monitoring
Weather monitoring
Soil Testing
Conservation Campaigns
Air Quality Monitoring
SCHOOL INFORMATION FORM (Middle School Classroom Applicants)
School Name:
School Mailing Address:
Teacher in charge of project:
Briefly describe your classroom’s community solution idea:
School Information Form (Elementary Schools)
School Name:
School Mailing Address:
School Enrollment:
Total Weight of Aluminum Recycled:
Briefly describe how your school carried out this recycling effort.