The ALCC scholarship program complements the Landscape Career Pathways Program by doing more than just funding student education.

The program, which awarded scholarship funds to eight students in 2016, grants scholarships to students at Colorado State University (CSU) and Front Range Community College (FRCC). One scholarship is granted in the name of JBK Landscape; another is presented in memory of Todd Williams, a past president of ALCC and Lifetime Achievement recipient who we lost way too soon. The remaining scholarship funds are given in ALCC’s name.

The scholarships allow students to pursue their career goals with a little less financial worry. But the scholarships can also provide encouragement to the students and validate their ambitions.

In some cases, the very existence of the scholarship program can validate a program. The fact that a person or organization is willing to fund education in landscape-related disciplines demonstrates a confidence in the industry and a need for educated, skilled individuals. When a school like FRCC or CSU seeks a grant to fund improvements to their landscape or horticulture program like a greenhouse or a classroom facility, the grant-making institution looks at community support when choosing the recipient of their funds. Having a trade association, related businesses, and industry veterans offer scholarship to the program demonstrates that there is a community eager to help graduates of the program succeed and thrive.

Helping one student pay for a semester or two of classes can help them achieve career goals. But it can also influence the success of the school the scholarship recipient attends. That, in turn, helps the Landscape Career Pathways Program grow, reaching more young people and educating them about the industry and its opportunities.

Read more in this issue of Colorado Green NOW:
Career pathways are nothing new for Pickens and FRCC grads
The journey to build a career pathway
Timberline partners with Falcon High School on Career Pathways
Recruiting young people for the industry: what CSU’s Zach Johnson tells parents