The Missouri Botanical Garden Youth Fellowship Program recognizes students in the St. Louis region for their work as environmental stewards. Recipients will participate in a rigorous fellowship program with like-minded peers and receive a $2,000 scholarship for higher education.
Awardees will be selected based on their past work in at least two environmental fields (including plant science, environmental research, restoration, education, advocacy, sustainability, horticulture, botany and nature immersion), as well as their intention on studying in one of those fields for a future career.
The Youth Fellowship Experience:
Orientation – Youth Fellows will participate in an orientation that will provide them an overview of the program, expectations, and learning around substantive research. Fellows will also learn about the varied roles within the Garden that support its mission.
Outcome-Based Research – Youth Fellows will explore and research relevant questions connected to the mission of the Garden and engage in outcome-based research.
Shadowing Experiences – Youth Fellows will take part in shadowing experiences with one or more professionals working at the Garden. This will provide the Fellows an opportunity to gain greater insight about roles that support the mission of the Garden.
Accountability – Youth Fellows will be expected to present their research and learning to a panel of professionals. This will be an opportunity for Fellows to share how the experience impacted them and decisions for their future.
Fellowship Applicant Qualifications:
- Must reside in the 16-county St. Louis metropolitan region
- Must have a strong interest in the horticulture, conservation or botany fields
- Must be able to attend the Youth Fellows meetings
- Must be able to take part in shadowing experiences
- Must be willing to carry out project developed during meetings
- Must be pursuing (or planning to pursue) a higher education degree in plant science/botany, horticulture, environmental studies, or sustainability
Youth Fellowship Experiences:
- Fellows will get to know each other through virtual and in-person activities.
- Fellows will be exposed to different careers at the Missouri Botanical Garden.
- Fellows will learn about local plant science topics and will choose one to focus on for the duration of the program.
- Fellows will gain experience in analyzing data, writing reports and presenting information to audiences.
Community Involvement:
- Fellows will individually carry out the plan they created during the Fellows meetings January–May.
- In May, Fellows will present their research and share their experience with Garden staff and invited guests.
Thank you for your interest in the Missouri Botanical Garden's Youth Fellowship. Registration for the 2023–2024 cohort has closed.
The Youth Fellowship Program is supported by the generous donation of Dave and Mary Tognoni.