New "Don't Mess with Texas" Scholarship Gives Enterprising Students a Chance to Letter in Litter
- 12.29.03
Campaign offering $5,000 to Texas high school seniors who tackle litter problems
(AUSTIN)—As the Texas Department of Transportation's (TxDOT) Don't Mess with Texas campaign heads into its 18th year, it's offering a unique scholarship opportunity to graduating high school seniors reared on its litter prevention message.
The Don't Mess with Texas Scholarship, sponsored by a donation from Dairy Queen, recognizes the achievements of high school seniors who have taken actions to prevent litter in their schools or communities. One $3,000 scholarship and two $1,000 scholarships will be awarded in the spring of 2004. Applications are due April 3, 2004, and are available through www.dontmesswithtexas.org or Texas high school guidance counselors.
Who Is Eligible?
- Any high school senior graduating spring 2004 who currently resides and attends school in Texas.
- Seniors planning to further their education at an accredited two- or four-year college or university (public or private) in Texas.
What Are the Requirements?
- An essay of 300 to 350 words identifying a litter problem in the student's school or community and the action he or she took to address it.
- Two letters of recommendation—one from a school-related source and the other from a non-school-related source.
- A photocopy of the student's official high school transcript.
- A completed Don't Mess with Texas Scholarship application.
The scholarship is TxDOT's latest effort to generate more youth involvement in the Don't Mess with Texas campaign. TxDOT research shows Texans ages 16-24 are the state's most frequent litterers and they are often the most difficult audience to reach. The second annual Don't Mess with Texas Road Tour will take a truck full of games and prizes to Texas hotspots this summer, and a new Don't Mess with Texas Campus Cleanup (sponsored by Dairy Queen) will kick off at the state's colleges and universities in March 2004.
TxDOT's Don't Mess with Texas litter prevention campaign has been educating Texans about litter prevention since 1986. For more information, visit www.dontmesswithtexas.org.
