Garden Scholar awards
A Garden Scholar Award package includes waived event registration and a stipend to cover hotel/travel/incidental costs for attending a regional symposium ($750) or the Annual Conference ($1,500). Garden Scholar Awards are 100% funded through gifts from individual members, corporate and institutional donors.
If you are interested in supporting a scholarship or underwrite a waiver for a member in financial need, you can do so by donating to the Garden Scholars Fund or contacting our Development team.
Support the program
Support Garden Scholars Program directly below, learn more on our Giving Opportunities page
2025 Application Cycle
Applications for the 2025 Annual Conference are now open!
Deadline: 11:59PM ET March 15, 2025
- Priority Garden Scholar Member Segments:
- first-time attendees of the Annual Conference
- aspiring or emerging leaders within the field of public horticulture
- entry-level professionals within the field of public horticulture
- interns within the field of public horticulture
*The Gerry Donnelly Future Leader Award is granted annually to an applicant with a minimum of seven (7) years of progressive experience working at increasing levels of responsibility within the public garden industry, and seeking greater responsibility in the field.
Applications are evaluated based on:
- strength of personal narrative
- strength of professional reference
- degree of individual and/or institutional financial need
- matters of inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessiblity
Applicant Requirements:
Applicants must be employed by, or serve in an intern capacity with, a member garden in good standing with the Association, or must hold an individual membership with the Association.
Applicants must not have been awarded a Garden Scholar award or fee-waiver within the previous 12 months.
Applications must be accompanied by all of the following:
- current resume or CV
- 300-word narrative stating rationale for seeking a scholarship opportunity and/or demonstrating the applicant’s interest in building their professional skills through attendance at the conference
- letter from a reference within the field of public horticulture, indicating support for the applicant’s character and current of potential success in the field
- signed Affirmation Form (see application form) from an appropriate decision-maker, approving the applicant’s attendance at the conference
Garden Scholar TESTIMONIALS
Trey Remsey
Outreach and Inclusion Manager at Ithaca Children’s GardenTrey Remsey
“Without the Garden Scholars Program, I wouldn’t have been able to attend the APGA conference. Presenting at the conference gave me valuable public speaking experience, and attending sessions helped me develop new leadership skills. It’s really important to ensure diverse voices are part of these conversations.”
Alexandra Faidiga
Assistant Curator at Holden Forests & GardensAlexandra Faidiga
“As someone early in my career, this scholarship was incredibly important because it enabled me to attend the annual conference. It gave me the opportunity to connect with professionals from across the country—connections I wouldn’t have made otherwise.”
Leslie Hockley
Lead Horticulturist at Toronto Botanical GardenLeslie Hockley
“Attending my first APGA conference was incredible. The scholarship was especially important to me because, as someone working at a small non-profit, the financial barrier to attending a weeklong conference was significant. Without this support, I wouldn’t have had the chance to learn from experts, discover new approaches to engaging volunteers, and develop strategies to enhance our collections and visitor experience. It has given me a renewed sense of direction and inspiration for my work.”Fellowship Opportunities
Garden Club of America Hope Goddard Iselin Fellowship Award
The 2025 Application cycle is open from September 1, 2024 to February 1, 2025.
A fellowship/grant opportunity offered in partnership with the Garden Club of America. The Garden Club of America Hope Goddard Iselin Fellowship in Public Horticulture will award up to a $5,000 grant to a student enrolled in a graduate-level university program to study public horticulture through experiential learning that takes place at a recognized public garden, botanic garden, arboretum, or other closely aligned public horticulture institution in the United States.
