GRAND RAPIDS – The West Michigan Sustainable Business Forum (WMSBF) is proud to announce that it will be awarding one $5000 scholarship to a local college student in 2010.

The goal of the WMSBF is to encourage the adoption and implementation of sustainable development business practices aimed at improving corporate profitability while simultaneously enhancing the long-term health of the environment and welfare of the community.   We believe that long term and lasting success depends on both expanding the pool of sustainability savvy professionals and a transformation of the higher education system.   Towards this end, the Sustainability Scholarship program was initiated in 2007 to assist students at local colleges and universities in their studies. 

Since the program’s inception, scholarships have been awarded to five students who demonstrated their interest in sustainability in business.  The scholarships are funded through an annual golf outing held in August.

The scholarship is open to any student of a Kent, Ottawa, or Muskegon County college or university who will be entering their senior year in 2010.  Interested students are asked to submit a two-part essay outlining their knowledge of sustainable business practices and suggestions as to how their school might integrate triple-bottom-line thinking into its curriculum.  “Our previous awards have been given to some very talented students,” said scholarship committee co-chair Greg Metz of Lott3Metz Architecture, “We look forward to reading some excellent essays.”

The recipient will be announced in April.

More information, including the scholarship application, can be found on the WMSBF website or by contacting Kyle Ten Broeke at kyle@wmsbf.org.  Applications must be received by no later than 5:00 p.m. on March 5, 2010.

The West Michigan Sustainable Business Forum membership represents a broad cross-section of large area industries, medium and small-sized businesses, and individual contractors. Together, we are dedicated to developing the expertise and the means necessary to achieve our triple bottom line objective. We strive to expand and share our knowledge base through monthly meetings featuring guest speakers, periodic seminars and conferences, and special projects.