Home Builders Foundation Granting 2010 Scholarships

Each year, the Home Builders Foundation grants scholarships to high school and college students interested in entering the home building industry through a variety of fields. Since the program began, the HBF has granted over $120,000 in scholarships and has plans to award $17,000 in 2010. With deadlines fast approaching, please help us get the word out about this year’s opportunities.For high school students, the Gary E. Milgard High School Scholarship Competition offers a glimpse at what builders do with the hope of inspiring students to enter the industry. The three-step competition asks high school students to learn about the homebuilding industry by earning a minimum score on the NAHB’s “Building Homes of our Own” interactive CD-ROM game, volunteering 16 hours with a hands-on nonprofit organization, and writing a 500-word essay on the importance of homeownership or the homebuilding industry to our community. To enter, students must complete an intent to enter form, which is located on our website. The deadline for submitting essays and proof of volunteer hours is Fri., Mar. 16.  A panel of judges will then score the essays anonymously, and the three finalists will be announced in April.For college students, the Home Builders Foundation offers Building Industry Scholarships to students attending secondary institutions in Oregon. Both the Jim Irvine Statewide and Portland Metro programs offer scholarship and mentorship opportunities to students majoring in fields related to the industry. Awarded in partnership with the HBA’s Professional Remodelers Organization, Alan Mascord Design Associates, Inc. and Alpine Mortgage Planning, the deadline for submitting applications and necessary materials is Fri., May 14.To apply or for more information please contact Mel Duncan or visit the HBA website at http://www.homebuildersportland.org/buildingindustryscholarships.htm.