Toyota Foundation opens call for environmental scholarship program
The Toyota Foundation opened its annual call for its Environmental Scholarships program that seeks to reward students seeking to become professionals in a field related to the environment — something it has been doing since 2005.
The nonprofit awards scholarships to qualified students looking to contribute to the understanding and preservation of natural resources in Puerto Rico, Saskia Gómez, public relations executive at Toyota Puerto Rico said.
To date, the Toyota Foundation has granted 251 scholarships to college students, representing an investment of more than $617,375, she said.
“We invite students interested in environmental careers from all over Puerto Rico to request this aid, because each young person that dedicates their life to the preservation of our resources is like a reward for this generous planet, which gives us everything without expecting anything in return,” she said.
“For more than 20 years we have reiterated our commitment to support environmental causes, through the Toyota Foundation and to support young people who seek to dedicate their lives to professions that contribute to the environment,” said Gómez.
“Supporting the formation of an army of professionals who protect environmental causes is, without a doubt, one of the best efforts we can make to reward the gifts of nature,” Gómez added.
The Toyota Foundation Scholarship Program, which awards $45,000 each year to some 18 students, represents “our hope for a better world. We’re honored to contribute this help to these young people so that they can successfully participate in the struggle for the planet,” she said.
This year the call for scholarships of up to $2,500 each, ends May 31, 2019. Some of the requirements are: Have an academic average of 3.5 or more; be accepted into an undergraduate program of an accredited university; be enrolled full time with a minimum of 12 credits; and demonstrate economic need.
Students who have received the Fundación Toyota environmental scholarship have focused their studies in various areas, namely: agriculture; ecology; forestry; environmental management; environmental sciences; geology; earth sciences; geophysics; horticulture; botany; marine biology; oceanography; meteorology; science; zoology; wildlife management; microbiology; archeology; anthropology; and geography.
The application and additional information is available at http://www.toyotapr.com/becas or by calling the Community Foundation of Puerto Rico, the nonprofit that administers the scholarship program funds, at 787-721-1037 or 787-721-1147.
If chosen, the students will have the right to renew their scholarship each year until they complete their college studies, as long as they meet the renewal requirements, foundation officials said.
