The George Melendez Wright Student Travel Scholarshipsfor attendance at View/download 2-page PDF version of this announcement (suitable for printing and posting on bulletin boards) |
George Melendez Wright in conversation with Totoya (later known as Maria Lebrado), a granddaughter of Chief Tenaya and possibly the last person to have known Yosemite Valley before European contact. Yosemite National Park, 1928. |
Posted November 18, 2006 — The application deadline for the Student Travel Scholarship has now passed, and the application form has been removed. If you applied, you will be notified of the Scholarship Committee’s decision in early 2007.
The George Wright Society has created the George Melendez Wright Student Travel Scholarships to encourage students from diverse ethnic, racial, and cultural backgrounds to participate in the Society’s biennial conferences and enhance their interest in the conservation and preservation of parks, protected areas, and cultural sites throughout the world. The goal of the scholarship is to encourage greater ethnic, racial, and cultural diversity among the park professions. The GWS seeks to encourage scholarship winners to pursue a profession in fields directly related to parks, protected areas, and cultural sites by giving them the opportunity to participate in a professional conference in all its dimensions, whether by taking part in sessions or networking with peers. All awardees will be assigned a professional mentor in order to maximize their experience at the conference.
At the 2005 GWS Biennial Conference, nearly 30 students benefited from the Travel Scholarships, and a like number is expected to be available for “Rethinking Protected Areas in a Changing World,” the 2007 conference. Each scholarship includes a stipend of up to $500 for travel expenses, a conference registration fee waiver, and a year’s membership in the George Wright Society.
WHO IS ELIGIBLE Full-time college/university students from ethnic, racial, and cultural groups that historically have been underrepresented in the fields of natural and cultural resources. Students must be at least juniors; graduate student status is preferred. Students from minority-serving institutions are strongly encouraged to apply. International students are eligible for consideration. The presentation of a paper at the conference is not required.
AWARD AMOUNT Registration fee waiver, year’s membership in the George Wright Society, travel stipend of up to $500.
DEADLINE November 10, 2006 EXTENDED UNTIL November 17, 2006.
HOW TO APPLY Fill out the on-line application form at the bottom of this page.
WHAT IS NEEDED TO APPLY Statement of purpose (see application form below for details). Proof of full-time student status may be required.
NOTIFICATION Successful applicants will be notified by email in early 2007.
QUESTIONS? Contact Dr. Gillian Bowser, chair of the Scholarship Committee, at gbowser@tamu.edu, or Dave Harmon, GWS executive director, at dharmon@georgewright.org.
During the GWS2007 conference we will be holding the third installment of our Walkin’ in the Footsteps of George Silent Auction to benefit the Travel Scholarship program.Walkin’ in the Footsteps of George recalls George Melendez Wright’s pioneering efforts in the 1920s and 1930s to make a career in the park resources field. Wright initiated the first wildlife survey of U.S. national parks in 1929 and went on to be the first chief of the Wildlife Division of the U.S. National Park Service. Of Hispanic descent himself (his mother was Salvadoran), Wright was fluent in Spanish, worked on several international projects, and respected the value of cultural diversity.
Walkin’ in the Footsteps of George will be a fun event that celebrates Wright's spirit of adventure. The entire proceeds will go to the Travel Scholarship fund. The silent auction will be held during GWS2007 and bidding will close at a gala event during the conference (details to be announced).
What kinds of things are we looking for?
All items should be new and unworn. Of course, we also welcome contributions of money to the Scholarship fund. We can provide you with a receipt to document the value of your tax-deductible charitable donation. And we are actively seeking institutional underwriters for the Scholarship program — contact us if your organization might wish to sponsor one or more scholarships.
Won’t you please help deserving students from diverse backgrounds “walk in the footsteps” of one of the trail-blazers of our profession? Here’s how:
1. Mail your donations — whether money or auction items — in advance of GWS2007 directly to the GWS executive office. For auction items, be sure to include a note with (a) Your name, full mailing address, phone, and email; (b) the name of the donor (if different from yours); (c) for artwork, the name of the artist (if known); and (d) your estimated value of the item(s). For direct donations to the Scholarship Fund, make checks payable to “George Wright Society.”
2. Bring your donations to St. Paul and check them in at the Conference Registration Desk.
Address for mailed donations:
George Wright Society, ATTN: Silent Auction, P.O. Box 65, Hancock, MI 49930-0065 USA
For ground deliveries:
George Wright Society, ATTN: Silent Auction, 49445 US-41, Hancock, MI 49930 USA
Questions? Contact the GWS office at 1-906-487-9722; or conferences@georgewright.org
