Amy Chamberlain Scholarship Fund

The Amy Chamberlain Scholarship Fund is being established by Bay Area Wilderness Training (BAWT) to honor Amy’s life. The scholarship will provide financial and additional support services to highly motivated educators in the San Francisco Bay Area who are interested in participating in BAWT’s Wilderness Leadership Training. The Scholarship Fund will enable educators with limited resources to provide Bay Area youth with meaningful outdoor experiences.

Amy was a dedicated BAWT volunteer who loved the outdoors with a passion. At the time of her untimely passing she was BAWT’s Development Committee Co-Chair, and brought immeasurable optimism and her infectious laughter to the organization. This scholarship honors Amy’s service to BAWT, her joyous spirit, her commitment to youth, love for nature, and desire to help others through outdoor experiences and education.

» Amy Chamberlain’s Bio

The Award

Each scholarship provides full tuition to BAWT’s flagship service offering, the Wilderness Leadership Training (WLT), as well as additional post-course support services including site visits by BAWT staff or scholarship committee members during the 12 months following WLT participation. Approximate value of services is equal to $1000.

Eligibility and Requirements

Each applicant must be either staff or a volunteer (with no less than one year of service) of a youth service organization or school serving youth from low-income backgrounds. The school or organization must be located in any of the following 6 counties: San Francisco, Alameda, Marin, Contra Costa, San Mateo or Santa Clara.

The scholarship recipient is expected to run a minimum of 2 outdoor trips within a year of their WLT for the youth they serve and briefly capture their children’s experiences and testimonials and provide group trip photographs for BAWT’s website. Also the recipient is encouraged to share their experiences at a BAWT sponsored event, but it is optional.

Selection Criteria

The scholarship will be awarded to the applicant most qualified by their job or volunteer performance and proven commitment to youth. Applicants need not have significant outdoor experience themselves, only a love for the outdoors and a passion for education. Scholarship recipients will be selected by the scholarship committee.

Application Process & Deadlines

Applicants must fill out the online form one month before the pre-trip meeting of the WLT course that they are applying for. Applications submitted after these dates may still be considered, though with lower priority. The scholarship for each course will be announced three weeks before the pre-trip date.

To see the specific dates please see the Wilderness Leadership Training home page.

The applications are reviewed by volunteers on the Amy Chamberlain Scholarship Committee. BAWT thanks the Scholarship Committee for their hard work raising funds for these scholarships.

» Click here to Apply for Amy Chamberlain Scholarship Fund