Gary Clarke & Clayton Freiheit Scholarship Grant

Gary Clarke & Clayton Freiheit Scholarship Grant

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA)
Last Updated: August 14, 2025

Summary

The Gary Clarke & Clayton Freiheit Scholarship honors two dedicated mentors in the AZA zoo and aquarium community. Established to support individuals showing leadership potential, this scholarship covers full registration for AZA Professional Development Courses, round-trip airfare, transportation, lodging, and a per diem for meals. Eligibility requires applicants to be AZA individual members employed by accredited facilities, promoting excellence and collaboration within the sector.

Overview

Gary Clarke & Clayton Freiheit Scholarship This scholarship honors two people who demonstrated a commitment to mentoring younger professionals throughout their careers within AZA zoos and aquariums. It is named after Gary Clarke, former director of the Topeka Zoo, and Clayton Freiheit, former president/CEO of Denver Zoo. Clarke was a founding member of AAZPA (now AZA). Both Clarke and Freiheit served terms as Chairs of the AZA Accreditation Commission and as AZA board presidents. This scholarship provides opportunities to individuals who demonstrate leadership potential within the zoo and aquarium industry and may be applied to any of the AZA Professional Development Courses. The scholarship includes: AZA course registration (full)Round-trip airfare from the scholarship recipient’s point of origin to the destination city (up to $700)Round-trip airport shuttle ground transportation (full)Hotel/lodging throughout the duration of the course (based on single occupancy rate)A per diem to cover meals and incidentals

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. Applicants must be an AZA individual member and employed by an AZA-accredited or certified related facility Individual members working at AZA facilities in any country are welcome to apply.Applicants may only submit one (1) AZA scholarship application per year.This scholarship is merit-based. You must be a member of this organization to apply for this award - become a member.