Contests and Scholarships
Statewide Gold Award 2012-13 Scholarship
Several scholarships will be awarded in the amounts of $1,000 and $500. The scholarship recipient will be eligible to receive her scholarship after graduation from high school and must utilize the award within one year of graduation, unless other arrangements are made with the committee. The scholarship check will be mailed directly to the university or higher educational institution to be applied toward tuition. Unused funds will revert back to the Statewide Gold Award Scholarship Endowment Fund.
Requirements to Apply- Earned the Girl Scout Gold Award in the state of Texas and received approval for Gold Award final project by Monday, April 1, 2013.
- Graduating Girl Scout Ambassador in year 2013.
- Currently registered as a Girl Scout in a Texas Girl Scout Council.
- Need for financial assistance.
- Planning to attend a university or higher education institute during a calendar year from June 1, 2013 – May 31, 2017.
Please Note: Each application requires a council signature. Please allow 5 business days to receive council verification of your membership and receipt of your GS Gold Award.
The application and other materials need to be received at the Girl Scouts of San Jacinto council by April 26, 2013 in order to be considered for this scholarship.
Texas Elks State Association 2012-13 Gold Award Scholarship
The Texas Elks State Association will once again award a $2,500 college scholarship to a graduating Texas high school senior who has earned the Gold Award.
The scholarship application and guidelines are available on-line. Select the Girl Scout Gold Award Scholarship link at: www.texaselks.org/uploads/Gold_Award_Application_2013-2.pdf.
The application deadline is April 10, 2013.
Please check back for more information on this scholarship in the future
VFW Scholarship
The Veterans of Foreign Wars hosts an annual competition to identify the Scout of the Year, and 2012 was the first year that this scholarship is available to Girl Scouts! To be eligible, a girl must be at least 15 years old, and have earned the Gold Award. Three students are selected to receive awards nationally, and scholarship values range between $1000 and $5000.
Applications are due to your local VFW no later than March 1st of each year.
Eastern Orthodox Scholarship
The Eastern Orthodox Committee on Scouting offers two scholarships. The recipient for first place will receive $1,000 and the runner up will receive $500 upon acceptance to a four year accredited college or university. The candidates are evaluated on their involvement in their church, school, community, scholastic achievements, and Girl And Boy Scouting.
Other Opportunities through GSUSA
Are you looking for scholarships to help pay for college tuition? Additional scholarship information may be found
here.
Huggable Heroes
Build-A-Bear Workshop® launches its tenth annual search for Huggable Heroes® - inspiring young leaders who have a commitment to serve, help others, and make a difference in their community. Kids, ages eight to 18, can be nominated through February 28 by visiting
buildabear.com/huggableheroes or picking up an entry form at Build-A-Bear Workshop stores in the United States, Puerto Rico, and Canada.
Ten Huggable Heroes will each receive $10,000 which includes an educational scholarship, a donation to a charity of their choice, and a mentoring scholarship to support their charitable entrepreneurships.
In celebration of the 10th birthday of its Huggable Heroes program, Build-A-Bear Workshop is joining forces with the Jefferson Awards for Public Service, one of the nation’s top community service recognition programs. Each Huggable Hero will be paired with a mentor through the Jefferson Awards GLOBECHANGERS system for a year in order to develop valuable skills for writing business plans, networking and fundraising. The training and on-going support the Huggable Heroes receive from their mentors will enable these future leaders to grow personally and scale their efforts globally
Anyone, ages eight and up, can nominate a candidate for this award and/or the candidates can even nominate themselves
Entry forms are available at all Build-A-Bear Workshop stores in the United States, Puerto Rico and Canada, and online at www.buildabear.com/huggableheroes.
Earth Science Contests
AGI is sponsoring three national contests for Earth Science Week 2012. The photography contest, open to all ages, focuses on "Earth Science Is a Big Job." Open to students in grades K-5, the visual arts contest is titled "Imagine Me, an Earth Scientist!" Finally, students in grades 6-9 are eligible to enter the essay contest: "Geoscientists Working Together." Entries may be submitted any time up to the Friday of Earth Science Week, October 19, 2012.
For more information, visit www.earthsciweek.org/contests/
Engineering Education Service Center (EESC) Fall 2012 Poster Contest!
The EESC’s 2012 poster contest will include two themes. You may enter one or both up to three times. Posters should be fun, motivational and inspire students to pursue a degree in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math).
Category 1: "Grand Challenges for Engineering" - Throughout human history, engineering has driven the advance of civilization. In the last century, engineering recorded its grandest accomplishments. The widespread development and distribution of electricity and clean water, automobiles and airplanes, radio and television, spacecraft and lasers, antibiotics and medical imaging, and computers and the Internet are just some of the highlights from a century in which engineering revolutionized and improved virtually every aspect of human life.
or all of these advances, though, the century ahead poses formidable challenges. As the population grows and its needs and desires expand, the problem of sustaining civilization’s continuing advancement, while still improving the quality of life, is more immediate. Old and new threats to personal and public health demand more effective and more readily available treatments. Vulnerabilities to pandemic diseases, terrorist violence, and natural disasters require serious searches for new methods of protection and prevention. And products and processes that enhance the joy of living remain a top priority of engineering innovation.
Applying the rules of reason, the findings of science, the aesthetics of art, and the spark of creative imagination, engineers will continue the tradition of forging a better future. For more information on the Grand Challenges, visit: www.engineeringchallenges.org/cms/8996.aspx.
Category 2: "Women in STEM" - More women in the STEM workforce is vital to innovation, our economy and global competitiveness. Every day, inspiring women in a variety of STEM careers make a difference in the world. STEM literacy is a requirement in the 21st and possibly the best ticket to a good job, meaningful career, and a secure future.
For more information, visit www.engineeringedu.com/postercontest.html.
Competition & STEM Program Opportunity for Girls
Deadline: Must be submitted by March 12, 2012.
Girl Scouts of the USA is proud to be an outreach partner with the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop and E-Line Media to introduce the second annual National STEM Video Game Challenge open to Girl Scouts! This challenge invites game makers to show their passion for playing and making video games and aims to motivate children's interests in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM). Up for grabs is almost $200,000 in cash and prizes, with multiple ways to win! The entry period is open through March 12th, 2012. Finalists will be selected by a distinguished panel of judges and winners will be announced in the spring of 2012 at a major public event.
For more information on how Girl Scouts can enter the Youth Prize competition (middle school & high school) go to: www.STEMChallenge.org
Challenges like this support Girl Scouts’ already strong commitment to STEM activities that are relevant to everyday life. Whether they're discovering how a car's engine runs, becoming math whizzes, or learning about careers in STEM fields, girls are moving forward into the future. Please see: http://www.girlscouts.org/program/gs_central/science/ for more information on all of our science offerings.
This challenge also compliments the Entertainment Technology Badge, where girls can dig into video game development! If you have girls earning this badge, encourage them to enter the STEM Video Challenge as well!
President's Environmental Youth Awards (All PGLs)
Deadline each year: December 31
The President's Environmental Youth Awards (PEYA) promotes awareness of our nation's natural resources and encourage positive community involvement. Since 1971, the President of the United States has joined with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to recognize young Americans for protecting our nation's air, water, land, and ecology. Each year the PEYA program honors a wide variety of environmental projects developed by young individuals, school classes (kindergarten through high school), summer camps, public interest groups, and youth organizations to promote environmental awareness.
For more information, visit the EPA's PEYA Web site at http://www.epa.gov/education/peya/
Home Depot Community Impact Grants Program
The Home Depot Community Impact Grants Program provides support to nonprofit organizations, public schools, and public service agencies in the U.S. that are using the power of volunteers to improve the physical health of their communities. Proposals for the following community improvement activities will be considered: repairs, refurbishments, and modifications to low-income and/or transitional housing or community facilities (schools, community centers, senior centers, etc.); weatherizing or increasing energy efficiency of low-income and/or transitional housing or community facilities; planting trees or community gardens and/or landscaping community facilities; and development of community parks or green spaces. More competitive grant proposals will specifically identify projects for veterans, seniors, and/or the disabled and will include housing repairs, modifications, and weatherization work. Grants of up to $5,000 are made in the form of The Home Depot gift cards for the purchase of tools, materials, or services.
For more information, go to www.homedepotfoundation.org/how-we-help/grants.html
4th Annal Clifford Be Big in Your Community Contest! (All PGL)
Deadline: June 22
BE BIG™ is a multiyear campaign that invites everyone, big and small, to take action and raise awareness for how Clifford's BIG Ideas (Share, Be Kind, Help Others, Be a Good Friend, Play Fair, Have Respect, Be Truthful, Believe in Yourself, Work Together and Be Responsible) can make the world a better place.
As part of the BE BIG campaign, the contest will award $10,000 in community grants* to the BIGGEST ideas that best demonstrate Clifford's BIG Ideas!<>/
Last year's Grand Prize Winner was Andrea de Avila; her team's BIG Idea was to transform an empty school rooftop into an eco-friendly garden playground. Your BIG Idea might just be next!
Scholastic and HandsOn Network will work with the winners to bring their Big Ideas to life! Everyone is invited --parents, kids, teachers or community leaders -- to submit their ideas now through June 22, 2012.
For contest entry forms and official rules visit www.scholastic.com/cliffordbebig/contest
BIG Awards!
*One grand prize winning BIG Idea will be honored with a $5,000 community grant to bring their BIG Idea to life. In addition, $5,000 in community grants of $1,000 each will be awarded to five (5) first place winning ideas.
Spread the word!
Captain Planet Environment Grants (All PGL)
Deadline: Quarterly (June 30/September 30/December 31/March 31)
These grant opportunities support hands-on environmental projects that empower children and youth around the world to solve environmental problems in their communities. There are multiple awards ranging from $250 to $2,500.
For more information, go to www.captainplanetfoundation.org/default.aspx?pid=3&tab=apply
State Farm Youth Advisory Board Grants (All PGL)
The State Farm Youth Advisory Board is providing $5 million in service-learning grants to youth across the United States and Canada in an effort to create projects that bring about sustainable, positive change in local communities. Youth in public schools, or youth associated with a 501(c)3 organization have the opportunity to apply for grants ranging from $25,000-$100,000 to help their implementation of a school-based service-learning program that ties into an existing K-12 curriculum, and relates to one of the following focus areas: Driver Safety, Environmental Responsibility, Financial Literacy, Access to Higher Education, and Natural or Societal Disaster Preparedness.
For more information, go to www.statefarmyab.com/apply/national-grants
Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes (GS Brownies-Ambassadors)
The Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes invites nominations for its annual awards. The Barron Prize honors young people ages 8 to 18 who have made a significant positive difference to people and our planet. Each year, ten national winners each receive $2,500 to support their service work or higher education.
For more information go to www.barronprize.org
Making College Affordable Scholarship Directory
Congresswoman Roybal-Allard's office can provide you with helpful information about how to pay for college. Many students use a combination of loans, scholarships, work-study programs, and savings to make college tuition affordable.
Click here for more information.