Applications for First Wind Scholars Program now being accepted throughout First Wind host communities for one-time scholarships of $3,000.
Boston, MA [WorldofRenewables.com]
First Wind, an independent U.S.-based wind energy company, today announced the expansion of its First Wind Scholars program to high school students residing in each community where the company currently has a project in operation or in an advanced stage of development.
Successfully launched in October 2009 for a student in Beaver County or Millard County, Utah, First Wind Scholars offers one-time $3,000 scholarships to support local high school students who display strong potential for a successful college experience, as well as interest in the environment, energy or the sciences.
As many as 10 scholarships will be granted to qualified students. In addition, First Wind will provide one renewable scholarship of $5,000 for up to four years to the most qualified student.
“We are pleased to expand our successful First Wind Scholars program to our project sites throughout the Northeast, West and Hawaii,” said Carol Grant, Senior Vice President of External Affairs at First Wind. “Today’s youth are tomorrow’s leaders, and we hope that this program will support young people who show interest in and the capacity to contribute to the fields of environment, energy and science.”
The First Wind Scholars program will be open to high school seniors in communities served by one of First Wind’s area locations (outlined below). In order to be eligible for the scholarship, students will need a GPA of 3.0 or higher and plan to enroll in full-time undergraduate study majoring in earth and/or environmental sciences, technology or engineering. Applications are open and available online as of today with all submissions due by May 1, 2010. Judging will be based on a number of factors, including academic performance, work experience, school and community activities and a 300-word essay. The program and selection of recipients is administered by Scholarship Management Services, a leading designer and manager of scholarship and tuition reimbursement programs for corporations and others. The names of the scholarship recipients will be announced in late May 2010.
Earlier this year, Kelsey Mitchell, a senior at Millard High School in Fillmore, Utah, was the first recipient of a First Wind Scholars award. Ms. Mitchell will receive a $3,000 scholarship toward tuition at Southern Utah University, where she will begin her studies in Forensic Science this fall. The scholarship program is now being expanded to all of First Wind’s project areas.
Students residing near the following First Wind projects (or planned projects) will be eligible to apply for the scholarship:
· Mars Hill Wind (Mars Hill, Maine)
· Stetson Wind (Danforth, Maine)
· Rollins Wind (the towns of Winn, Lincoln, Lee and Burlington in Maine)
· Sheffield Wind (Sheffield, Vermont)
· Cohocton Wind (Cohocton, New York)
· Steel Winds (Lackawanna and Hamburg, New York)
· Kaheawa Wind (Maui, Hawaii)
· Kahuku Wind (Laie, Oahu, Hawaii)
· Milford Wind (Millard County and Beaver County, Utah)
To get more information on this program or to complete an application, students can visit www.firstwind.com/firstwindscholars.
About First Wind
First Wind is an independent wind energy company exclusively focused on the development, financing, construction, ownership and operation of utility-scale wind projects in the United States. Based in Boston, First Wind has wind projects in the Northeast, the West and in Hawaii, with the capacity to generate up to 504 megawatts of power. For more information on First Wind, please visit www.firstwind.com or follow us on Twitter @FirstWind.