Unique opportunity for 18–25 year olds to apply for a 90% subsidised, Darwin-inspired scholarship, combining practical skills and ongoing support.
The Field Studies Council has a charitable mission to engage and connect everyone with the outdoors and will cover 90% of the cost of the scholarship. Scholars will pay the remaining 10% (Only £45!)
This scholarship week has been generously funded as part of the Wilder Connections project in Doddington, who strongly believe in the benefits of supporting young people with their environmental interests.
What is included in the scholarship?
The scholarship starts with a heavily subsidised and immersive 4 day trip at the stunning Doddington Hall location, in Lincolnshire and includes ongoing support.
The cost for you to attend the scholarship and be provided with ongoing support is only £45.
After the day series you will be supported in several ways, which are exclusive to Young Darwin Scholars:
- Dedicated FSC staff member to advise and assist with your chosen environmental pathways
- Access to the Young Darwin Scholar mentoring scheme, which consists of experts from various backgrounds who are available to chat via email.
- Access to our wide range of Eco-Skills courses at a heavily discounted rate. There are close to 200 courses covering 30+ subjects that run online and at locations across the country.
- Series of online webinars covering career and academic advice, current environmental topics and projects, and wider environmental themes.
We have been successfully running this programme since 2012 and have awarded scholarships to 270 young people. Thanks to the additional funding we can support another 15 young people in the Lincolnshire area.
The FSC Youth Council and other environmental organisations have had significant input on the content of the scholarship to ensure what is being offered is relevant to the young people of today.
Locations and dates:
Doddington Hall
The days start at 9:30 am and finish at 4:30pm. There is plenty of parking on-site and there will also be a shuttle bus available to pick people up from Lincoln station at 9am and drop off at the station at 5pm.
Note this is not residential, and there is no overnight accommodation available on the site/offerd for this scholarship.
Useful information to know before applying. Accessibility and Support
We welcome all young people regardless of their backgrounds or experiences. You do not need a degree or any qualifications to be a scholar. All we ask is you have an interest in nature and are open to learning new environmental skills while being part of a group of like-minded young people who all share an interest in the natural world.
If you have any support needs or any other questions about accessibility or criteria that you want to discuss before applying for the scholarship then please get in touch.
If the cost of travelling to the course or the 10% contribution is stopping you from applying please do talk to us. FSC Youth Engagement Officer has access to some funding to support those most in need as we want more young people to take part in this scheme. Financial help will be dealt with on a case by case basis. We understand this is sensitive information and no financial information will be shared with other scholars.
Email: [email protected]
Application Process
The application process is an easy-to-use online form which includes three main questions:
- What interests you about the environment and the outdoors? (Max 300 words)
Ideas for answers: How do you like to spend your time outside, what topics are you interested in, why are you interested in the environment, why are these interests important to you
- Tell us about a memorable time that you spent outdoors? (Max 300 words)
Ideas for answers: Use this to tell a story of a time that sticks with you. Did you accomplish anything, was the weather particularly good (or bad?) did you learn anything from this. Has this changed how you like to spend your time outside and engage with the environment?
- Why would you like to be awarded a Young Darwin Scholarship? (Max 200 words)
Ideas for answers: Why would this benefit you? what support are you looking for?
If you find answering online forms difficult and would rather talk through and answer the application questions please contact [email protected] with your contact phone number and availability to call.
Some people find it easier to write their answers to the above questions on Microsoft word or Google docs and paste the answers into the application form.
Scholars will be chosen based on their answers in the application. All answers will be assessed against scoring criteria and the FSC Youth Council will be part of the selection process. There is no follow up interview process.
Applications must be submitted by 6pm, September 11th (Sunday) 2022. Successful applicants will be contacted by September 16th 2022 and will have a week to accept the scholarship.
To keep up to date with all opportunities for young people (16-25) in FSC, make sure to sign up to our Youth Mailing List. This is highly recommenced as the mailing list gets first access to FSC offers, discounts and opportunities.
I have loved my time on the scholarship. I have learned a lot of new skills and had some great experiences with great people. I’d recommend the scholarship to anyone with any environmental or wildlife interest.
Young Darwin Scholar 2021
If you have any questions regarding your application or the scholarship please email:
[email protected]
