Laurance and Mary Rockefeller Legacy Scholarship Essay Competition

Laurance and Mary Rockefeller Legacy Scholarship Essay Competition

Funder: The Woodstock Foundation, Inc. (in partnership with Billings Farm & Museum, Woodstock Inn & Resort, and Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park)

Status: Active; inaugural awards presented in 2025

Geographic Scope: Woodstock, Vermont

Purpose: Annual essay program established to honor the enduring legacy of Laurance and Mary Rockefeller, commemorating their vision for environmental stewardship and intentional investing designed to endure for decades. The scholarship encourages the next generation to reflect on how their values and actions can inspire lasting positive change.

Eligibility:

Students in grades 10-12 at Woodstock Union High School

Award Amounts:

First place: $2,500

Second place: $1,000

Third place: $500

Essay Prompt: Students are asked to share their own idea on how to make a lasting positive and sustainable environmental, cultural, or economic impact in Vermont for 25, 50, or 100 years into the future.

Recent Essay Themes:

Expanding community land trusts to provide green, affordable housing in Vermont

Fostering community for Woodstock's aging population

Creating educational and cultural exchange between students in Woodstock and those in cities like Boston or New York

Selection Committee: Representatives from Billings Farm & Museum, Woodstock Inn & Resort, and Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park

Funding Partners: The Woodstock Foundation, Woodstock Inn & Resort, Countryside Fund, and Green Mountain Foundation

Contact Information:

The Woodstock Foundation, Inc.

Billings Farm & Museum

69 Old River Road

PO Box 489

Woodstock, VT 05091

Phone: 802-457-2355

About the Founders: Laurance S. and Mary F. Rockefeller founded The Woodstock Foundation in 1968 as a 501(c)(3) charitable, nonprofit institution promoting conservation, sustainable land use, and heritage as values essential to culture, community, and the human spirit.