On April 20, the Sustainable Energy Education & Development Support (SEEDS) announced it is now accepting entries to the Burkhardt Sustainability Essay Scholarship Contest for college-bound high school seniors in Monroe and Pike counties.  Entries are due May 24.

The winning entrant will receive a $1,000 scholarship made in memory of Michael “Jake” Burkhardt, Western Wayne Class of 2015. Jake loved life, his family, his community and the environment and worked with SEEDS as a high school student.

The essay topic is: “How can people from rural places, like Wayne or Pike Counties, contribute to a sustainable future both locally and globally? How would one balance the trade-offs between sustainability and economic development? Provide examples where sustainability is working or missing in your county. Please be comprehensive and specific.”

Local high school seniors from Western Wayne High School, Honesdale High School, Wallenpaupack Area High School, Damascus Christian Academy, Canaan Christian Academy, as well as home-schooled seniors who reside within the areas covered by those high schools.

Contest rules--

-- 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

-- The essay may be in the text of the email or in a Microsoft Word file, and should be between 600 and 1,600 words in length

-- All specific research must contain properly cited sources and any plagiarized content will be disqualified

-- Incorrect grammar and spelling will not be viewed favorably, and plagiarism will disqualify an essay

-- The scholarship funds will be issued directly to the college specified by the student

-- By submitting a response, participants grant SEEDS the right to promote the content and ideas

in each submission, with the participant's name and photograph

Entries must include: Name; Address; Email Address; Phone number(s); Parent/Guardian Name(s) and Address; Current High School (or Homeschool); Proposed Field of Study; Name of College you will be attending in the fall; and the Essay.

Entries should be submitted by email to: scholarship@seedsgroup.net.

The panel members will review the essays without having access to the students’ information or names.

The winner will be notified the following week. 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 Pennsylvania 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 conservation and recycling.

For more information on the programs, initiatives and upcoming events, visit the SEEDS (Sustainable Energy Education and Development Support) website, call 570-245-1256 or email Olga@seedsgroup.net.

[Posted: April 20, 2020]

4/27/2020