Lakewood Ranch High School students can apply for one of 40 scholarships worth $500 each by logging 20 hours of environmental volunteer work before Oct. 5.
The Manatee Education Foundation and the School District of Manatee County announced the Student Service Challenge, a program funded through the Florida Department of Education and the Florida Lottery. It puts $20,000 in total scholarship money on the table for high school students who complete the service hours and submit an essay, Pulse of Manatee reported.
Any student enrolled at a Manatee County public school or public charter school is eligible. That includes Lakewood Ranch High and every other district campus. All hours must be documented through the regular volunteer service-hour process at the student's registered school. Students who skip that paperwork step will not be considered for the scholarship.
Environmental projects qualify for service hours
Qualifying activities focus on environmental projects: beach cleanups, kayak cleanups, native plantings, campground restoration and other community improvement efforts, according to the announcement. The service window opened Sept. 7 and closes Oct. 5, giving students about four weeks to log the required 20 hours.
The sources confirm Oct. 5 as the deadline for service hours. Whether the essay is due on the same date has not been stated publicly.
Where students can register for events
Manatee County Government posted the announcement on its social media accounts Sept. 9, directing students to mymanatee.org/ecoevents to find upcoming volunteer events and register. The county said students can earn hours "while making a difference in our community through beach cleanups, kayak cleanups, native plantings, campground restoration projects and more."
The Manatee Education Foundation acknowledged the announcement on the county's Facebook post but did not provide additional details about the selection process or timeline.
No award announcement date or selection criteria beyond completing the hours and essay have been published. Students and families looking for specific event dates and locations should check mymanatee.org/ecoevents for the current calendar.
