December 10, 2015 (Woodstock, VA)
John Wilburn
Scholarship Alert! New funds available for outdoor and environmental learning
The Shenandoah Community Foundation and the Friends of the North Fork of the Shenandoah River (FNFSR) announced today that the first John Duncan Wilburn Adventure Scholarship will be awarded early next year. The $500 scholarship will be awarded to a college or university student to participate in an outdoor or environmental learning program. Applications will be accepted from January through March with the first scholarship to be awarded in May, 2016.
The scholarship was created in memory of John Duncan Wilburn, a professional forester who grew up the Shenandoah Valley. Wilburn was an avid kayaker, traveler, mountain climber, and biker who had a passion for the great outdoors. This scholarship will honor his spirit of adventure and his commitment to learning about and preserving the environment that he loved. Wilburn died in 2014 when he was just 30 years old.
After his death, friends at the FNFSR approached his family and the Foundation to discuss the possibility of creating a scholarship in his name.
“John loved learning and had a passion for the natural world,” said FNFSR’s Executive Director, John Eckman. “We wanted to honor his memory by supporting young people who have those same yearnings: to explore through adventure, and find their own ways to serve the environment.”
The scholarship is open to individuals who wish to participate in an outdoor adventure or environmental learning program and can be used for such program costs at a college or university, or for other non-profit outdoor learning institutions such as Outward Bound and the like.
“This scholarship is something new for us, in that the award money can be used for alternative programs that offer outdoor adventure or hands on environmental study in addition to more traditional college environmental programs.” said SCF Program Coordinator, Jeanne Russell. “It is also open to a wider geographic area than most of our scholarships. Since the fund was established, we have received donations from all over the country; and as the fund grows, so will the award amount.”
For more information on how to apply or to donate to the John Duncan Wilburn Adventure Scholarship Fund, please visit: www.fnfsr.org or www.shenandoahCF.org or call (540) 459-7737.
Photo credit: Dr. John A Cottrell, Jr.