WOOD RIVER — High school seniors in Madison and Bond counties planning to attend community college can apply for $1,000 scholarships.
Students preparing for post-secondary education and reside in either Madison or Bond County can apply for the Great River Workforce Development Corp, Inc. scholarship. The Madison-Bond Workforce Innovation Board announced that the $1,000 scholarships would be available to 2017 high school graduates planning to enroll in Lewis and Clark Community College, Southwestern Illinois College and Kaskaskia College.
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“Due to the generosity of our sponsors, we will once again be able to award individual scholarships in the amount of $1,000.00,” Jim Pennekamp, president of the Great River Workforce Development Corporation, Inc., said.
Pennekamp said funds for the scholarship are made available through contributions from local business, education, labor and government partners. In 2007, workforce development, which is a non-profit sub group of the Madison-Bond Workforce Investment Board, started sponsoring the community college scholarship program.
“Without their generosity and support, this opportunity to link education and workforce development would not be possible,” he said.
Pennekamp added donors to the scholarship fund receive an ad in the Madison-Bond Workforce Innovation Board’s Annual Report, which is distributed throughout the two-county area, and that all donations are tax deductible.
Madison-Bond Workforce Innovation Board members select scholarship winners based on grade point averages, references and essays students submit about their career goals.
Four scholarships were awarded in 2016 — Samuel Ahlmeyer, Hanna Radford, Samantha Sherer and Hannah Starnes.
Sponsors of the scholarship program included: Coldwell Banker Brown Realty, Greater Madison County Federation of Labor, John Herzog, Juneau & Associates, Madison County Employment & Training, Madison County Regional Office of Education, Mortgage Makers, Phillips 66, SCF Lewis and Clark Marine, Southwestern Illinois Building & Construction Trades Council and The Bank of Edwardsville.
Matt Jones, assistant executive director of Madison County Employment and Training, said each year the number of scholarship applicants increases. “As more businesses become aware of this opportunity to assist young people meet their career goals, we hope to see an increase in the number of scholarships we are able to award,” Jones said.
To apply or sponsor the scholarship program contact Jones at (618) 296-4315 or mjones@co.madison.il.us. The application deadline is June 16, 2017.
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