Protect American River Canyons Scholarship Essay Contest

2025 PARC Scholarship Essay Contest
Up to $3000 in Total Scholarship Awards
Entry Deadline is March 15, 2025
Contestants must be high school seniors, and residents of Placer, Nevada or El Dorado County, but may attend school in another county.
Essay Topic:
​Students may enter the PARC 2025 Essay Scholarship Contest by submitting an original essay of 500 words or less describing their response to the following question about the North and Middle Fork American River canyons located upstream of Folsom Reservoir, in the Auburn State Recreation Area:
Why do you care about the American River and its canyons, and what should be done to help protect them for the future? Please describe any activities you have participated in related to the river or canyons.
Click here for the Essay Contest Rules and Entry Form​
PARC Scholarship Fund
Since 2013, PARC has offered a scholarship essay contest for local high school seniors in Placer, El Dorado and Nevada counties.  Thanks to the generosity of supporters like you, PARC has awarded $25,000 in scholarship awards over the past 11 years.
 
We believe that our annual scholarship essay contest encourages and rewards critical thinking and involvement of our younger generation concerning the issues affecting our local American River watershed, and also provides a forum for high school students to express their personal views on these issues.
 
The scholarship contest is run entirely with volunteer labor, so 100% of donations to the scholarship fund go directly to student awards.  Please consider making a tax-deductible donation to help ensure that we will be able to continue to offer the scholarship in future years.
Please help ensure that PARC will be able to offer scholarships to more of our deserving local students next year by making a tax-deductible contribution to the PARC Scholarship Fund
See winners of the 2024 Contest below and read their essays:
Sponsored by Protect American River Canyons (PARC), $3000 in total scholarships were awarded to the winners of 2024's annual contest.

The 2024 Essay Topic was:
Why do you care about the American River and its canyons, and what should be done to help protect them for the future? Please describe any activities you have participated in that relate to the river or canyons.

2024 PARC Scholarship Winners ($600 each)

Read these outstanding 2024 winning essays. Click on the links below to open the essays.
Winners of the 2023 PARC Scholarship Essay Contest
Sponsored by Protect American River Canyons (PARC), $2500 in total scholarships were awarded to the winners of this year's annual contest.
The 2023 Essay Topic was:
What is your personal connection to the American River and its canyons, and how has a current concern, such as the COVID pandemic, climate change, social media influence, racial inequality, or another concern you have, impacted the American River and its canyons?
2023 PARC Scholarship Winners

Read the 2023 winning essays. Click on the links below to open the essays.
Below: See the Winners of the 2022 PARC Scholarship Essay Contest.
The 2022 Essay Topic was:
What is your personal connection to the American River and its canyons, and how has a current concern, such as the COVID pandemic, climate change, social media influence, racial inequality, or another concern you have, impacted the American River and its canyons?
2022 PARC Scholarship Essay Contest Winners
From left to right:  Emilie Brown, Placer HS;  Wyatt Hamilton, Placer HS; 
Austin Wanlass, Placer HS;  Kaela Peña, Placer HS, and Graham Neiman, Del Oro HS

Read the 2022 winning essays. Click on the links below to open the essays.

Emilie Brown, Placer High School

Wyatt Hamilton, Placer High School

Graham Neiman, Del Oro High School

Kaela Peña, Placer High School

Austin Wanlass, Placer High School

Below: See the Winners of the 2021 PARC Scholarship Essay Contest.
The 2021 Essay Topic was:
What is your personal connection to the American River and its canyons, and how has a current concern, such as the COVID pandemic, climate change, social media influence, racial inequality, or another concern you have, impacted the American River and its canyons?
2021 PARC Scholarship Winners

Read the 2021 winning essays. Click on the links below to open the essays.
Click the video links to hear the students read their wonderful essays. More will be added as they become available. You'll be heartened to hear these young voices!
Below: See the Winners of the 2020 PARC Scholarship Essay Contest.
See videos of them reading their winning essays here.
The 2020 Essay Topic was:
How will your personal connection to the American River and its canyons lead to active environmental stewardship that will help reduce the impacts of climate change on the American River watershed?
2020 PARC Scholarship Winners
Read the 2020 winning essays, and watch them read their essays. You'll be heartened to hear these young voices! Click on the links below to open their essays.
Below: 2019 Scholarship Essay Contest
Picture
Winners of the 2019 PARC Essay Contest Scholarship Contest: From left to right: Sierra Hagen, Colfax HS; Marco Carniglia, Woodcreek HS; Hanna Yazdi, Placer HS; and Emily Youngblood, Placer HS. (Winner Connor Ryan of Placer HS not available for photo.)
See above for the 2020 Essay Topic
The 2019 Essay Topic was:
Why are the American River and its canyons important to me and my community, and what can my generation do to protect the canyons' natural habitat while improving recreational opportunities?

Pictured above are four of the five winners of the annual PARC 2019 Scholarship Essay Contest for local High School Seniors. All five winners received $500 scholarship awards.

Students entered the Essay Contest by submitting an original essay of 500 words or less describing their response to the question quoted above about the North and Middle Fork American River canyons located upstream of Folsom Reservoir, in the Auburn State Recreation Area.

Scroll down to read the winning essays.
Read the 2019 winning essays below! Click on the student's name to open their essay.
Below: 2018 Scholarship Essay Contest
Picture
2018 PARC Scholarship winners: From left to right, Eddy Polkenhorn, Lincoln HS; Layton Birchell, Placer HS; Brenn Haydon, Placer HS; Adrienne Russell, Granite Bay HS; (5th winner not in photo, Rachel Nicholson, Oak Ridge HS
See top of the page for the 2020 Essay Topic
The 2018 Essay Topic was:
What is my connection to the American River and Canyons, and what would I  change to create a better experience for visitors to the Auburn State Recreation Area?

Pictured above are four of the five winners of the annual PARC 2018 Scholarship Essay Contest for local High School Seniors. All five winners received $500 scholarship awards. The four pictured were able to attend a ceremony held at the Confluence of the North and Middle Forks of the American River in April, 2018.

Students entered the Essay Contest by submitting an original essay of 500 words or less describing their response to the question quoted above about the North and Middle Fork American River canyons located upstream of Folsom Reservoir, in the Auburn State Recreation Area.

Read the 2018 winning essays below! Click on the student's name to open their essay.
Brenn Haydon, Placer High School
Adrienne Russell, Granite Bay High School
Edward Polkenhorn, Lincoln High School
Layton Birchell, Placer High School
Rachel Nicholson, Oak Ridge High School
Below: 2017 Scholarship Essay Contest
 Picture2017 PARC Scholarship winners, From left to right: Laura Riccardelli, Del Oro HS; Maggie Swett, Placer HS; Kristine Dunn, Granite Bay HS; Miranda Fedoronczuk, Placer HS; (not in photo: Marissa DeVille, Union Mine HS)
 
See top of the page for the 2020 Essay Topic
The 2017 Essay Topic was:
What is my connection to the American River and Canyons, and what is my vision for improving recreational opportunities in the Auburn State Recreation Area?

Read the 2017 winning essays below! Click on the student's name to open their essay.
Marissa DeVille, Union Mine High School
Kristine Dunn, Granite Bay High School
Miranda Fedoronczuk, Placer High School
Laura Riccardelli, Del Oro High School
Maggie Swett, Placer High School
2016 Scholarship Essay Contest
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From left to right: Anna Christeson, Charter University Prep; Lara Macon, Placer HS; Paige Roper, Placer HS; Josh Matthews, Placer HS; Kiana Kasravi, Del Oro HS
Pictured above are the winners of the PARC 2016 Essay Contest Scholarship for local High School Seniors. All five received $500 scholarship awards at a ceremony held at the Confluence of the North and Middle Forks of the American River.

Essay Topic: Students entered the 2016 PARC Essay Scholarship Contest by submitting an original essay of 500 words or less describing their response to the following question about the North and Middle Fork American River canyons located upstream of Folsom Reservoir, in the Auburn State Recreation Area:
Why are the American River and its canyons important to me and what is my vision
for improving the Auburn State Recreation Area?
Read the 2016 winning essays below! Click on the student's name to open their essay.
Anna Christeson, Charter University Prep
Kiana Kasravi, Del Oro HS
Lara Macon, Placer HS
Josh Matthews, Placer HS
Paige Roper, Placer HS
2015 Scholarship Essay Contest Winners
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2015 PARC Scholarship winners, from left to right: Moses Wolf-Polgar, Del Oro HS; Kiera Jordan, Placer HS; Allie Clark, Colfax HS; Elisabeth Russell, Granite Bay HS; Kaitlyn Clark, Rocklin HS
May 2015: PARC awards $2500 to Essay Contest Scholarship Winners
The winners of the PARC 2015 Essay Contest Scholarship for local High School Seniors have been selected. All five received $500 scholarship awards at a ceremony held at the Confluence of the North and Middle Forks of the American River.

Last year's topic question was:

Why do I care about the American River, and what is my vision for the protection of the river and its canyons for future generations?

In their essays, the students described the natural beauty, and shared their personal connection to the American River Canyons. They explained the importance of the Canyons to them and to our local community, and offered their ideas on how to protect the canyons for future generations to enjoy.

Read the 2015 winning essays by clicking the links below.
Click the names below to read the 2015 winning essays.

Kiera Jordan from Auburn and Placer High School

Moses Wolfe-Polgar from Auburn and Del Oro High School 

Allie Clark from Meadow Vista and Colfax High School 

Elisabeth Russell from Granite Bay and Granite Bay High School

Kaitlyn Clark from Rocklin and Rocklin High School 

Please help ensure that PARC will be able to offer scholarships to more of our deserving local students next year by making a
tax-deductible contribution to the PARC Scholarship Fund