Hudson River  Michael O Donnell Dockside
Funding

Barnabas McHenry Hudson River Valley Awards

Image Credit: Michael O Donnell

Supporting future Hudson River Valley leaders

Andrew Randazzo Mohonk Preserve2 credit Stephen D Stewart Hill
Andrew Randazzo, 2021 McHenry Scholar, worked with Mohonk Preserve to develop and revise land management plans.
Image Credit: Stephen D. Stewart Hill

Eligibility

Any nonprofit organization working in the Hudson Valley may nominate a candidate and his or her project. Eligible candidates must be undergraduate or graduate students. The project itself may be either a summer or a year-long internship. In addition to the $5,000 awarded to McHenry recipients, the Open Space Institute also awards $1,000 to their sponsoring organizations for supplementary expenses.

Partners

Nonprofits can also reach out to college professors with potential internship opportunities to pass along to students. Here is a list of colleges and universities in the Hudson River Valley area.

Impact

Our McHenry scholars’ projects and outreach have educated and inspired local residents, often leading to tangible community resources like a food bank or historical archive. Other projects have impacted the Valley through local newspaper publications, academic theses and dissertations, and community panel discussions.

Maija Clearwater2016
Maija Niemisto, 2016 McHenry Scholar, researched the distribution of fish and plankton in the Hudson River Estuary with the Sloop Clearwater.

How to Apply

Student Resources

Are you an undergraduate or a graduate student with a compelling project proposal but lack a partnership with a nonprofit organization? Here is a list of nonprofit organizations in the Hudson River Valley you can contact about applying for a summer or year-long internship funded by the McHenry Award.

As a student candidate, your own college or university can also nominate you. The project would then be conducted in collaboration with either a professor or faculty member in place of a nonprofit organization.

Organization Resources

If you want your organization or college to be listed under student or organization resources, please email Jessica Watson at [email protected] with a brief summary of your organization’s mission and how a McHenry Award project directed by a young leader could further that mission. (Maximum 1 paragraph)

Application Process

Applications are due online by 5 pm, April 15, 2024.

Applications must include:

  1. Online application completed by the nominating organization.
  2. Letter (not exceeding one page, single-spaced) from the candidate
    1. Explain the importance of this project to you;
    2. Explain why you are qualified to do this project;
    3. Include a resume (including academic achievements);
    4. Include a project budget.

See a list of Frequently Asked Questions.

Barnabas McHenry Hudson River Valley Awards

Learn more about the awards and apply. 

Apply Now
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McHenry Scholarship Contact

Jessica Watson

Vice President of Conservation Communities

212.356.4288

1370 Broadway Suite 201, New York, New York 10018

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