Last week to apply for SeaWorld Orlando’s new environmental scholarship

SeaWorld Orlando is giving away $20,000 in scholarship money with its new Young Environmental Scholars Awards, and the deadline is fast approaching. Local seniors in Orange County have until March 1 to apply. That’s Sunday!

SeaWorld said the 20 $1,000 scholarships are intended to “reward high school seniors for their academic performance and passion for animals and the environment.” The one-time awards can be used at any college or university that the winner chooses to attend.

High school seniors in Orange County (Florida) with at least a 3.0 GPA are encouraged to apply for this scholarship and must visit this page on seaworldparks.com to complete the application. The application consists of written questions about the student’s plans to help protect the environment. Each applicant also must submit a video that summarizes his or her conservation plans. The video cannot be longer than 5 minutes and has to be uploaded to YouTube.

All of the applications received will be evaluated by representatives of SeaWorld’s Education & Conservation Team. They will consider originality, creativity, content, organization, neatness and the general presentation of the application.

The winners will be announced in the spring, and their awards will be presented by SeaWorld at the winning students’ school awards ceremonies. In addition, there will be a special event held at SeaWorld Orlando for the winners and their families to celebrate their accomplishment.

All winners will be notified by phone and/or email. Any award notification returned to the sponsor or its agencies as undeliverable will result in disqualification and the presenting of the award to an alternate winner. All application materials submitted become the property of SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment, and none will be returned.

The fine print of the rules: Winners may be asked to complete photographic and video release forms. No substitution of awards will be offered and non-cash prizes may not be redeemed for cash value. The award money is intended to provide funding for the winners college education and may not be transferred to a third party or be used for unrelated purposes. By accepting an award, all representatives agree to permit SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment and SeaWorld Orlando to use their name, voice, picture or other likeness for advertising, marketing, public relations or other promotional purposes in connection with awards program or otherwise without further compensations. Federal, state and local taxes on award money, if any, are the responsibility of the winners.

A global leader in animal care and conservation, SeaWorld has assisted more than 24,000 orphaned, injured or ill animals over the last 50 years.

Follow @Kristin_B_Ford