ECBA Second Annual Youth Scholarship Application

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The East Cascades Bird Alliance (“ECBA”) is excited to announce its second annual youth scholarship for a student to attend the American Birding Association’s (“ABA”) Camp Colorado in Allenspark, CO, from August 2-8, 2026 (the “Camp”).

As part of the Camp, attendees explore Colorado from grassland to glaciers, from the shortgrass prairie of northeastern Colorado to the aspen groves and alpine tundra of Rocky Mountain National Park.

Expert staff from the ABA and skilled guest instructors will lead field trips in search of species such as White-tailed Ptarmigan, Clark’s Nutcracker, MacGillivray’s Warbler, Brown-capped Rosy-Finch, Williamson’s Sapsucker, Burrowing Owl, Thick-billed Longspur, and Cassin’s Sparrow, among others.

Afternoons and evenings we’ll have hands-on field craft workshops to learn about sketching, field journaling, photography, careers in bird conservation, and much more.

For more information about the Camp, see the ABA’s website:
https://www.aba.org/camp-colorado/.

This scholarship is open to students who meet the following requirements:

(1) be between the ages of 13 and 17 for the duration of the Camp;

and

(2) reside in or attend school in Crook, Deschutes, Jefferson, Wheeler or Grant counties in the state of Oregon at the time of the submission of the Youth Scholarship Application. *

ECBA’s hope is that this scholarship will encourage young people in Central Oregon to pursue their interests in birds, birding, conservation, and the natural world.

The scholarship is made possible by donations to ECBA and the generous support of its members.

The scholarship will cover the cost of the registration for the Camp ($2,250), the cost of round-trip airfare for the attendee from the Redmond Municipal Airport to the Denver International Airport (capped at $500), and a stipend to help cover traveling and incidental expenses (reimbursed up to $250), and a year’s membership to ECBA.

Students must submit a completed application that includes an essay and letter of recommendation from a teacher or adult mentor by March 6th, 2026.

The deadline to apply is March 6th, 2026.

2026 ECBA Youth Scholarship Application

Email*
Name*
First Last
Address*
Street Address Address Line 2 City State ZIP Code
Phone
Name of Parent of Guardian*
Parent or Guardian Address (if different than your own)
Street Address Address Line 2 City State ZIP Code
Parent or Guardian Phone*
Name of your school*
Location of your school*
Street Address Address Line 2 City State ZIP Code
Do you affirm that you will be 13-17 years of age for the duration of the Camp?*
- Yes
- No
Have you ever attended any ECBA meetings, birding events, or programs?*
- Yes
- No
If yes, please describe your involvement with ECBA
Are you a member of any other bird or conservation organizations?*
- Yes
- No
If yes, please describe your involvement with these organizations
Please write a personal essay that states the importance of birds to you. We want to know about your interest in birds and birding. If you need a prompt, here are some topics you may address: Do you try to teach others about birds? Do you draw the birds you see? Do you do any survey or volunteer work? Do you participate in citizen/community science? Why do you want to attend this event? Your essay should be between 500 and 1,500 words and should be primarily written by the applicant (i.e. not written by parents, an AI engine, etc.).
Personal Essay*
Your application must include a letter of recommendation from a teacher, professor, or adult mentor (not your parent/guardian) that should cover what they know about your commitment to birds and birding. Please fill out the contact information about the person you have asked to write your letter of recommendation. ECBA will then send them a form asking for the letter when you submit this application. Be sure that you have asked the recommender to write you your letter. Your application is not complete without the recommendation. You will receive confirmation when your recommender completes and submits the letter by the scholarship due date.
Name of person writing letter or recommendation*
First Last
Phone number of person writing letter of recommendation*
Email address of person writing letter of recommendation*
Consent*
I affirm that my parent/guardian has read and provided consent to me to submit this scholarship application, and if awarded, has given permission for me to attend the Camp.
Consent*
I affirm that, if I receive this scholarship and attend the Camp, I will write an article about my experiences at the Camp for publication in ECBA’s newsletter and/or I will give a presentation at the ECBA annual event or other ECBA event.
Date*
MM slash DD slash YYYY
*ECBA may request information verifying that the applicant meets the residency requirement for the scholarship. Failure to provide the requested information will disqualify the applicant and is in the sole discretion of ECBA.