MENDOCINO CO., 1/29/26 — High school students in Mendocino County wanting to pursue environmental studies can apply this spring for scholarships that are being funded in part this year by a group of local artists.
The Mendocino Coast Environmental Scholarship program was created by local residents Rodney Jones and Pete Kalvass, who have experience in environmental stewardship and education.
According to Jones, the program was started in 2013, but it didn’t begin awarding funds to students until 2014. In the years following, the program has given more than 40 scholarships to students pursuing careers in environmental fields.
The scholarship program will be available to high school students this spring, but the deadline to apply has not been announced. Last year, the scholarship application was due at the end of March.
The scholarship program is getting donations this year from Mendocino Eco Artists, a local group of artists advocating for the conservation of the natural environment. The group consists of painters, sculptors, and photographers who create environmentally inspired art.
In an interview, Jones spoke about the support from Mendocino Eco Artists and how the plan for the organization to donate funds came about. He said that the group helps one organization each year by donating proceeds from selling their artwork.
“They usually adopt an organization every year for their art show, and somebody said, ‘Why don’t you sponsor the environmental scholarship this time?’ So they did,” Jones said. “Most or all of their artists usually agree to contribute various percentages of proceeds of any of their art to the organization they selected that year.”
Jones said selected recipients of the scholarship typically receive $6,000 for their higher education, though some have received more. Since the Mendocino Coast Environmental Scholarship Program began, it has awarded about four to eight scholarships each year.
To be eligible for the scholarship, students must plan to attend a postsecondary institution, two-year or four-year, with an emphasis in environmental studies. Applicants must have a minimum overall high school GPA of 3.0, be enrolled in at least one science class in addition to the courses required for graduation, and have lived in California for at least one school year before applying. The scholarships are primarily for high school students who live on the coast or in Anderson Valley.
Other requirements for students to apply include submitting an official high school transcript, a brief environmentally focused personal essay, and two to four letters of recommendation.
To learn more about the Mendocino Coast Environmental Scholarship Program, contact Rodney Jones at rodjones@mcn.org or (707) 937-0549.