Until higher education is accessible, equitable, and free, we will be here to support and increase the number of Black & Latinx Birders* in Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math (STEAM). Scholarship awards range from a minimum of $2,500 to a maximum of $5,000, based on the funding available for the current year.

Attention birders! If you are an undergraduate student in a STEAM field and identify as Black and or Latinx residing in the United States or Puerto Rico, APPLY for the Black and Latinx Birders Scholarship today! (Looking for the BIPOC Birders Grad Student Mini Grant? Click here.)

DEADLINE: March 15, 2024

SCHOLARSHIP TIMELINE

Application period: January 26th – March 15th, 2024

Evaluation period: March 18th – April 14th, 2024

Interview Period: April 22nd – May 10th, 2024

Awardee announcement: week of May 20 – 24, 2024

ELIGIBILITY

This scholarship is open to currently enrolled undergraduate students 18 and older who are enrolled in a full-time (at least 12 credits per semester) academic program.

You must reside and attend college in the United States (including Puerto Rico).

Minimum cumulative 2.0 GPA

In addition to the general eligibility criteria, we strongly encourage students who identify as Black and/or Latinx to apply. This scholarship aims to support and empower students from these communities, recognizing the unique perspectives and contributions they bring to their fields of study.

APPLICATION MATERIALS

Letter of recommendation to serve as a reference from a mentor. This should be sent directly to us at: hello@amplifythefuture.org.

AND

Official or unofficial transcript to serve as Proof of enrollment at a 2 or 4 year college or university and proof of a minimum cumulative 2.0 GPA (high school or college, as appropriate) in the form of a transcript. Obtaining a transcript can be tricky, so an email to hello@amplifythefuture.org from the admissions office stating your current cumulative GPA, academic standing, and your enrollment status for the 2024-2025 school year will suffice.

PERSONAL STATEMENT

Your personal statement provides an opportunity to demonstrate your passion for birding and dedication to environmental conservation. We are open to receiving your statement in various formats:

  • Written essay 
  • Produced video 
  • Published blog/social media  
  • Slideshow presentation 
  • Recorded audio

Our goal is to encourage you to authentically communicate your story while highlighting your strongest abilities and hopes for your future. 

Your personal statement should convince the selection committee that you are the ideal candidate for the Birders Fund scholarship. Consider the following starting points: 

  • Paint a vivid picture of your experiences in nature and convey the profound impact that birding has had on your life. 
  • Share your journey of discovery, from picking up binoculars to encounters with rare species. 
  • Reflect on lessons learned from observing birds and how they shaped your understanding of the world. 
  • Highlight research projects, field studies, and volunteer efforts to deepen your knowledge and contribute to environmental conservation. 
  • Tell us a story about your commitment to making a positive impact in your community. 

Be authentic and let your passion shine through. Create this from the heart and let it soar like the birds you admire! Good luck, and may your personal statement inspire others to join you in protecting and celebrating our feathered friends and the places we share! 

Click Here to Apply to the Scholarship

*Note: We use the term “birder” in a wide sense. You might be a lister, a bird-centric artist, a videographer, or a photographer. You could also be a volunteer at a nature center who engages your community with live birds, or lead bird walks. Perhaps you have worked on, or are working on, a bird-related conservation project at your school. You could even be an apprenticing falconer or a Master falconer. In this context, a birder is someone who is actively engaged in a lifestyle that revolves around birds, bird advocacy, and/or bird conservation. Ultimately, a birder is someone who shares stories about birds, and there are so many places from which those stories can come.

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