Calling All High School Seniors: Keep Martin Beautiful Scholarships!

My young daughter is playing with her food – but not in the way you might imagine! She recently discovered the book Play with Your Food, which shows how imagination can turn a banana peel into an octopus or a pepper into a cartoon face.

Since then, she’s been busy creating a whole menagerie from our vegetable bin, using peppercorns, black-eyed peas, and a few trusty craft supplies to bring her creatures to life. It’s become a wonderful mix of learning, laughter, and creativity — and such a welcome change from plastic toys.

Great things can start with the simplest ideas. This may not make her an environmental steward just yet, but for a toddler, it’s a small, joyful step toward connecting with the natural world.

I may never know what first inspired last year’s scholarship winners to care so deeply about the environment, but when the Keep Martin Beautiful Board reviewed their applications, it was clear that the same spark of curiosity and wonder had grown into genuine commitment.

That makes me very excited to introduce this year’s KMB scholarship process.

Keep Martin Beautiful is offering two academic scholarship opportunities for Martin County students for 2026-2027. To be eligible for the $500 scholarship, an applicant must:

• Be a graduating senior from one of the four high schools in Martin County in 2026.
• Demonstrate a strong commitment to environmental stewardship through academic excellence, volunteer service, or meaningful community engagement.
• Plan to pursue a degree in Environmental Science, Environmental Policy, Conservation, Marine Biology, or a closely related field. 

If you’re a high school senior or know one who is passionate about environmental stewardship, don’t miss this opportunity.  Students can submit their applications by accessing XELLO via their ClassLink accounts. The deadline to apply is Wednesday, December 3, 2025.

Visit, martinschools.org/page/scholarships-for-after-high-school for more information.

 To learn more about Keep Martin Beautiful, its environmental projects throughout the community, and the scholarship program, contact Keep Martin Beautiful at 772-781-1222, email info@keepmartinbeautiful.org or visit keepmartinbeautiful.org.