The Chesapeake Bay Trust is now seeking applications and nominations for its 2019 Annual Scholarship and Awards Program. Launched in 1998, the Trust’s Awards Program honors students, teachers, individuals, communities, businesses, and organizations for their work to promote environmental education, improve local communities, and help restore the natural resources of the Chesapeake Bay region.

Please consider applying and/or sharing our call for applications with your network, on your website or social media channels, and with any specific outstanding Maryland students, teachers, businesses, or programs with whom you work.

Requirements for Scholarship & Awards Program applicants are as follows:

  • Deadline to submit an application or nomination is October 15, 2018, at 4:00 pm.
  • All applicants/nominees must be residents of Maryland.
  • Students and teachers must be affiliated with a Maryland school system (K-12 or college).
  • All winners will be required to create a poster showcasing their work and accomplishments.
  • Winners must be able to attend the awards ceremony in person. The winners will be announced during the Chesapeake Bay Trust’s Legislative Reception to be held in Annapolis in January 2019. Exact date, time, and location to be announced in November 2018.
  • Online applications and descriptions for all awards follow, but also can be accessed at www.cbtrust.org/awards.

Teacher of the Year Award (Winner to be rewarded with a $2,500 Grant)
The Teacher of the Year is awarded to a Maryland educator who has shown an outstanding commitment to environmental education. The winner will be an educator who provides outstanding environmental education, conducts outdoor field experiences, motivates and inspires students on environmental awareness, and serves as a respected resource to colleagues and community leaders. The winner will receive a $2,500 grant to support his or her environmental education work. Applicants/nominees must be affiliated with a Maryland school system (K-12 or college).

Student of the Year Award (Winner to be rewarded with a $5,000 Scholarship)
The Student of the Year is a Maryland high school or college student who motivates and inspires other students by a) promoting awareness of natural resources and b) participating in efforts to improve the environment at school or in the community. The winner will receive a $5,000 scholarship award. Applicants/nominees must be Maryland residents and full-time students at a Maryland high school or college.

The Honorable Arthur Dorman Award (Winner to be rewarded with a $5,000 Scholarship)
The winner of the Dorman award, named for former Trust Board Chairman Senator Arthur Dorman who worked tirelessly to engage a wide audience in natural resource issues, will be a Maryland high school or college student of color who motivates and inspires others and participates in efforts to improve the local environment and/or the community. The winner will receive a $5,000 scholarship award. Applicants/nominees must be Maryland residents, full-time students at a Maryland high school or college, and students of color (African-American, Asian-American, Native-American, Hispanic).

Ellen Fraites Wagner Award
This award, named for an individual instrumental in establishing the Chesapeake Bay Trust, recognizes an environmental leader who works to improve the natural resources of the Chesapeake Bay region. The winner will be someone who works or volunteers to motivate and inspire others by promoting environmental awareness, leading successful restoration and/or protection efforts, and initiates and participates in grant projects and programs funded by the Chesapeake Bay Trust.

Melanie Teems Award
This award, named after the longest-serving staff member of the Trust, recognizes a project or program that engages residents in efforts to improve the Chesapeake region’s natural resources through demonstration-based projects or programs, serves as a model for other organizations, motivates and inspires other organizations and/or individuals by promoting environmental engagement throughout the community. Applications/nominations must describe a Maryland project that is completed or nearing completion at the time of award and is connected to the resources, either financial (through a grant) or technical, of the Chesapeake Bay Trust.

Commercial Stewards Award
This award, established to honor previous Chairpersons of the Chesapeake Bay Trust, recognizes an outstanding corporate or commercial entity that strives to make a difference in the community, has made a significant contribution to natural resource restoration and protection in the Chesapeake region, and engages its employees and members of the community in environmental issues. Entities may be recognized for work that is directly tied to their missions or for their efforts to “green” their corporate cultures with a Bay or watershed focus. Applicants/nominees must be for-profit entities that include environmental responsibility and awareness as a part of their business plans.

Please contact Erin Valentine at 410-974-2941, ext. 113 or evalentine@cbtrust.org with questions.

Thank you in advance for your support!