Budding third level students from Connemara are being invited to apply for the next round of education funding being made available under the annual Galway Wind Park Scholarship.
The 2020 Scholarship, which is funded by Ireland’s largest wind farm Galway Wind Park, is now open for applications. This is the second year of the award-winning scholarship which is backed by Galway Wind Park co-owners SSE Renewables and Greencoat Renewables.
The Galway Wind Park Scholarship is targeted at full- and part-time undergraduate and postgraduate students living within 20km of the 174MW Galway Wind Park in Connemara, County Galway. The bursary programme supports students attending Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology (GMIT ) and National University of Ireland (NUI ) Galway as well as other educational institutions across the island of Ireland.
The Scholarship provides third-level education opportunities for local students to gain qualifications and build strong careers in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths ) subjects and in the areas of energy efficiency, sustainability, environment, health, safety and social skills.
The Scholarship Fund is typically worth around €50,000 per annum and provides 50% grant support towards a student’s annual fees for a maximum of three years.
Michelle Donnelly, Community Development Manager at SSE Renewables, said that SSE Renewables are proud to partner with Greencoat Renewables to launch the second year of this wind-powered scholarship, backing local students progressing towards their third-level education.
“To be able to help a number of students with financial support as they begin their studies is a privilege, especially in these current times when all of us in society are facing unprecedent challenges. This is especially true for students and their families, and we’re delighted to be able to play our part to help those going forward to third level education to pursue their education dreams.
“We would encourage anyone from areas of Connemara around Galway Wind Park who are moving into third level education to consider applying for this year’s funding from the Galway Wind Park Scholarship,” she said.
Patrick Maguire of Greencoat Renewables said they are delighted to launch the second year of this the Galway Wind Park Scholarship fund.
“Given the ongoing pandaemic it is fantastic to be able to offer support to local residents of the wind farm and it shows that we are committed to continue supporting important initiatives such as this and to invest in future generations,” he said.
The Galway Wind Park Scholarship is Ireland’s first ever wind-powered scholarship. To date, around 40 students have received support from the fund as they embark on their college education.
Student selection for the Scholarship is administered by Galway Wind Park’s Community Team with GMIT, NUI Galway and FORUM Connemara CLG, a Local Development Company whose main aim is the economic and social development of the Connemara region.
In January 2020, the Galway Wind Park Scholarship won the Wind Energy in the Community Award at the annual Irish Wind Industry Awards for the establishment of Ireland’s first ever wind energy-funded third level scholarship.
The deadline for completed applications to be submitted to a student’s chosen education institution for the 2020 Scholarship is Friday 6 November. The application form and further information on how to apply can be found online at: www.sserenewables.com/scholarshipfunds
