District Background

In the 1930’s, Conservation Districts were established nationwide in response to national concerns over agricultural erosion, floods, and the sky-blackening dust storms that swept across the county in the Dust Bowl. Congress enacted the Soil Conservation Act of 1934 which set national policy regarding soil and water conservation policies and established the Soil Water Conservation Service to implement this policy. Starting in the late 1940’s the Connecticut state legislature approved statutory language that over the years, established soil and water conservation districts in the state. The Northwest Conservation District is now one of the five established state Districts to advise and assist the Department of Energy and Environment Protection on matters of soil and water conservation and protection on a local level.

Scholarship Background

The Northwest Conservation Scholarship, established in 2022, is awarded each year to two graduating high school seniors who attend a high school located within the Northwest Conservation District (towns listed in the eligibility section below).

This scholarship has been established on behalf of three environmental titans from Northwest Connecticut:

Jacolyn “Jackie” Mott: a longtime District supporter and western Connecticut resident. Jackie’s seemingly quiet life overlooking the western hills was filled with a passion for land, and river preservation, a love of art and Native American history. Her faithful participation in NWCD’s Earth Day Plant sale resulted in her gardens being filled with native habitat providing healthy food, clean water, and safe habitat for her neighborhood’s creatures. Many will miss her.
Dick Leavenworth: a longtime supporter and Board member of the District who believed in the importance of educating the next generation about the environment in which we live: “We should raise our children as though they were our precious gift to the world and we should treat our world and its environment as though they were our most precious gift to our children.”
Reverend Ledlie Laughlin Jr: a longtime supporter of the Conservation District since his family’s move to Cornwall in 2000 after serving 50 years in parish ministry. Ledlie’s walk in life was based on his never failing spiritual belief that all of the creatures of the earth are equally entitled to the gifts of clean air, clean water, and shelter, and fair and just treatment.

In honor of Jackie, Dick and Ledlie, NWCD will be awarding two $2500 scholarships in 2025, which may be renewed for up to four years (maximum of $10,000 over four years), provided the student maintains scholarship criteria outlined.

Applicants should demonstrate their passion and interest in conservation, environmental issues, and preservation of water and soil. Applicants must demonstrate their intent to pursue education in environmental issues as part of their studies in college or university.

Eligibility

To be eligible for the scholarship, applicants must meet the all of the following criteria:

Graduating senior from a school within the Northwest Conservation District. This includes schools located in or regional high schools that include students from: Barkhamsted, Bethel, Bethlehem, Bridgewater, Brookfield, Canaan (Falls Village), Colebrook, Cornwall, Danbury, Goshen, Hartland, Harwinton, Kent, Litchfield, Morris, New Fairfield, New Hartford, New Milford, Newtown, Norfolk, North Canaan, Plymouth, Roxbury, Salisbury, Sharon, Sherman, Southbury, Thomaston, Torrington, Warren, Washington, Watertown, Winchester and Woodbury. AND
Intending to pursue agriculture, environmental sciences or natural resources as a major; AND
Plan to attend a two or four-year college in the fall of 2025.

Selection Process:

All applications must be received or post-marked by Friday, April 4th, 2025 at 5:00 PM. Late applications will not be considered. Please ensure that your letter of recommendation is sent to info@nwcd.org from the source (we will not accept letters submitted from the student) before this deadline. The scholarships are merit-based. The recipients will be chosen by the Northwest Conservation District based upon the materials provided in the application.

Application Requirements:

This application must be filled out entirely and all documents uploaded. Applications must be completed in one sitting so make sure to have all documents prepared ahead of filling out the application. This online Application Form includes:

Student Accomplishment Summary/Resume (please provide a list of your activities, academic and/or athletic accomplishments, recognitions, employment, and volunteer activities)
Personal Essay (an essay of 500-1000 words discussing your interest in environmental issues and science and describe why you plan to major in environmental science or a related field)
High School Academic Transcript
A signed letter of recommendation which must be sent as a PDF to info@nwcd.org with the student’s full name in the subject line. The letter must be sent from the source, not from the student’s email.

Selected Applicants:

The applicant chosen for the scholarship MUST submit all additional paperwork by the deadline communicated via email by the Northwest Conservation District. By not submitting all required paperwork by the due date, the applicant forfeits their scholarship and another applicant will be chosen.

Contact/Questions?

Please contact NWCD at info@nwcd.org

Scholarship Contingencies

A scholarship is a financial aid award to an individual student for the purposes of furthering their education that does not need to be repaid. They are funded for a fixed amount and a limited period of no more than four (4) years. The scholarships available through the Northwest Conservation District (NWCD) are competitive and merit-based. Applications will be reviewed by NWCD’s Education Committee. Students who are offered an NWCD scholarship must formally accept by emailing info@nwcd.org.

Scholarships are awarded to eligible, college students in an environmental science, natural resources, agriculture, or related program. This scholarship is annually renewable for up to four consecutive years, provided the student maintains continuous, full-time enrollment and a minimum cumulative Grade Point Average of 2.7 (on a 4.0 scale).

The scholarships are typically awarded based on a comprehensive review of the student’s academic record, including cumulative high school GPA and/or college GPA, rigor of academic course selection, and verified enrollment in an approved program (confirmed yearly by student transcripts). Eligibility will be reviewed in June of each year.

If the student applies for need-based financial assistance through FAFSA, federal guidelines require that the amount of the NWCD scholarship must be used in calculating eligibility for other need-based aid. If a recipient applies for financial aid and receives a financial assistance statement, they will see the scholarship appear as part of their total financial package.

Important information about scholarship renewal

Students must confirm continued registration in an appropriate degree program every fall for four years.
If a student completes their degree earlier than the program guidelines, the scholarship eligibility will cease. For example, if a student takes additional courses over the summer to accelerate their degree and finishes their degree requirements in six (6) semesters, the scholarship will not be renewed for additional semesters once the degree requirements are met. Scholarships are only to be used for courses that are required to complete the degree program.
If a recipient withdraws from the college, or is withdrawn by the College, they forfeit their scholarship and may not have it reinstated if re-enrolled at a later date. Recipients who transfer to another institution in a comparable academic program must let the NWCD know immediately.
If the recipient fails to meet the academic criteria or other requirements of their scholarship, the scholarship will be subject to cancellation. They may appeal the loss of scholarship if they have documented extenuating circumstances, such as an illness requiring hospitalization. If they meet the academic criteria in a later semester, they can appeal to have the scholarship reinstated. Renewals in these circumstances are at the sole discretion of the NWCD.
No deferments of scholarships are available.

Name *

First

Last

Please enter your first and last name as it appears on your transcripts and records.

Email *

Confirm Email

Please enter an email address that is outside of your current school email. We will continue to reach out to you through this email after you graduate.

Phone *

Home Address *

Address Line 1

Address Line 2

City

State

Zip Code

High School *

Please enter the High School you are currently attending and will graduate from.

High School Cumulative GPA *

Enter your overall current high school GPA.

Year of Graduation *

Identify the anticipated year of graduation.

College or University Planning to Attend (if known) *

We understand this may change but identify the school you plan on attending at this point.

Anticipated Major or Program of Study *

Identify the major you anticipate studying in college at this point in time.

Student Accomplishments/Resume *

Click or drag a file to this area to upload.

Please provide a list of your activities, academic and/or athletic accomplishments, recognitions, employment, and volunteer activities.

Personal Essay *

Click or drag a file to this area to upload.

An essay of 500-1000 words discussing your interest in environmental issues and science and describe why you plan to major in environmental science or a related field.

High School Transcript

Click or drag a file to this area to upload.

Upload a PDF of your High School Transcript here.

Certification (Type your full name and date into the box below) *

To the best of my knowledge, all information contained in this application for the 2025 Northwest Conservation District is complete and accurate.