Due to COVID- 19 concerns, the 2020 Natural Resources Conservation Workshop is being cancelled for the first time in its history. All University System of Georgia institutions will remain closed to students this summer. This includes non-campus students. This would have been the 59th workshop and we are heartbroken that students across the state will not be able to experience this fantastic opportunity this year.
We appreciate all the support our Conservation Districts do to make the workshop a success every year through student sponsorships, scholarships, and through supervisor and DPA volunteers. It's thanks to your support and the commitment of our partners that NRCW has been the huge success it's been for decades and continues to educate the conservationists of tomorrow.
We would like for our Supervisors to know that Districts can still support NRCW this year by making arrangements to make next year even better. Since students are not able to attend NRCW this year, we would like to provide one of two opportunities. The first is for Districts to pre-pay for student sponsorships to be used next year.
The other option is to provide college scholarships for next year. Some Districts already provide college scholarships, but others have not had the opportunity to provide a scholarship in the past, and this would be a great way to bless a student looking toward a future in Natural Resources. District scholarships can be awarded statewide, or awarded to students who reside in their District. Districts can also choose to offer more than one scholarship.
As a reminder, the Georgia Soil & Water Conservation Commission is requesting all district funds be used by May 15.
Districts wanting to create a scholarship for next year should contact Vonda Fenn, Special Projects Coordinator at ABAC and she will assist with the process. Vonda can be reached at vfenn@abac.edu or phone, 229-391-5067.