The American Whitewater Scholarship

$1000  |  Open to all people with innovative ideas for protecting rivers  | For use on any Freeflow course

Our rivers need protection and stewardship now more than ever. We’d love to help you realize your vision for the future of river conservation and communication.

American Whitewater and Freeflow Institute offer three competitive $1000 scholarships for emerging outdoor communicators, advocates, or storytellers in 2023. Applicants may be students or educators, aspiring or established storytellers in any medium, or journalists or environmental communicators.

American Whitewater Scholars demonstrate capacity to research and craft an excellent story. The story should be developed into a creative project to meet the following goals: 

  • enhance and expand public awareness of an issue facing the particular watershed or landscape
  • ignite public dialogue
  • encourage citizens to celebrate, experience, and protect the rivers of our country

Before applying, please make yourself familiar with the visions of Freeflow Institute and American Whitewater. Then submit a compelling pitch for an original creative project that is, at its essence, the confluence of your own work or research and your Freeflow experience.

We can accept applications in written, audio, or video formats. If you have trouble understanding or accessing the application questions, please contact us and we will help you.

Please apply on a timeline consistent with the course you’re applying to. The hard deadline for ALL applications is May 5.

We can’t wait to read about your ideas! Please get in touch with Chandra at Freeflow at [email protected] with any questions.

Scholarship Application Form

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Please note that Craig Childs’ April 2023 course has an EARLY application deadline of March 15.

1. PROJECT PROPOSAL: Please respond to the following questions in written, audio, or video form. You may address these questions however you’d like. Upload a file with your written response here, or share in one of the following ways: by email or Google Drive to [email protected], or by mail to Freeflow Institute / P.O. Box 602 / Milltown, Montana 59851. Audio or video submissions should be shared by email or Google Drive.

  • What’s the story you’re hoping to tell? 

  • Tell us about your project idea and how you’ll meet the goals listed in the scholarship description. Please explain how your project will support the priorities of American Whitewater, and how it aligns with the values of Freeflow. Give us as much detail as you can; we’d love to hear the specifics of your vision. 

  • Why is your story important to tell, now, and why are you the one to tell it?

  • How will this particular Freeflow course enrich and support your creative work, advocacy, education, or professional development?

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      You may choose to share how your participation will contribute to a more diverse, inclusive, and complex cohort. You may also share with us how you’ve experienced barriers to the outdoors, to writing, or to creative work, generally.
      Feel free to send us optional samples of your work, art, writing, etc. To include examples of your work with your application, upload them here.
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