HERNDON, VA — The Professional Landcare Network (PLANET) has announced that the PLANET Academic Excellence Foundation (AEF) has created a new State Association Ambassadorship for the Green Industry. This allows any state to set up an ambassadorship within the PLANET AEF for every $25,000 contribution, thereby designating it a State Association Ambassador. For every $25,000 donated to the PLANET AEF, the state association will be given a $1,000 annual scholarship in perpetuity.
State Association Ambassadors will establish the criteria for their scholarships and will provide this information to the PLANET AEF Board of Directors. State Associations will be able to decide the amount of their scholarships and how many scholarships they will give to students, and to distribute these scholarships at their own designated meeting. In addition, they will be able to choose the schools within their states that will be recognized to receive scholarships, even if those schools are not recognized by PLANET’s Accreditation Program or do not attend PLANET’s Student Career Days event. Each state will then market its scholarship program in conjunction with PLANET AEF and may even establish its own ambassadorships within its state. In return, if a state has an individual or corporate ambassador within its own State Association Ambassadorship, that individual or corporate ambassador will be recognized nationally along with the state associated through PLANET.
“The AEF board has worked diligently with the PLANET staff, board, and state associations over the last year to craft a way to ‘broaden’ green industry scholarships. We’re very enthused that this participation will be available to the state associations,” said David J. Frank, Landscape Industry Certified Manager, PLANET AEF president.
The PLANET AEF scholarship fund was formed in 1998 to award scholarships and fund educational activities for the green industry. Promoting and advancing the lawn care and landscape services industry by supporting academic excellence is the Foundation’s mission. To fulfill its mission, the PLANET AEF relies on tax-deductible donations and long-term pledges from individuals, corporations, organizations, and estates. Since its inception, the PLANET AEF has provided more than $500,000 in scholarship funds to 511 students.
