Soil and Water Stewardship Scholarship Grant

Soil and Water Stewardship Scholarship Grant

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: Community Foundation of Northern Illinois
Last Updated: September 22, 2025

Summary

The Soil and Water Stewardship Scholarship, sponsored by the Community Foundation of Northern Illinois, provides financial support to students pursuing careers in natural resources. Applicants must reside in specific Illinois counties and plan to enroll in a full-time program related to fields such as ecology, hydrology, and conservation. Academic performance is a key consideration in the selection process. For more details, contact the Winnebago County Soil & Water Conservation District.

Overview

Note: This scholarship does not have an online application. For more information and to receive a copy of the application, contact the scholarship administrator at the Winnebago County Soil & Water Conservation District at 815-965-2392 Extension 3 or NEILStewardship@gmail.com. Soil and Water Stewardship Scholarship Supporting students pursuing careers in the natural resources field. Scholarship Background and Intent The Soil and Water Stewardship Scholarship seeks to provide financial support to students enrolled full time at an accredited two- or four-year college, community college, or university, which will lead to a career in a natural resource field. This scholarship was formerly known as the Leopold Education Project Scholarship. Funding for this scholarship was made available from the Leopold Education Project, an educational program based on the works of noted conservationist and author Aldo Leopold. Leopold’s philosophy and land ethic created a foundation for modern conservation. The Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCD) of Land Use Council (LUC) 16 sponsor the Soil and Water Stewardship Scholarship. Every county in Illinois is served by a local SWCD. These local units of government provide leadership and direction in an effort to conserve and protect natural resources. LUC 16 is comprised of seven SWCD’s in the Northeastern part of the state.

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. Applicants mustCurrently reside in Boone, Cook, DeKalb, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry, Will, or Winnebago County Intend to enroll in a full-time course of study in a field related to natural resources.For the purposes of this scholarship, fields related to natural resources may include: fish or wildlife biologyconservation or managementair qualitybotanyconservation educationecology forestryhydrologysoils pollution controlwater quality