Scholarships
Supporting Marin's Environmental AdvocatesMaster Class Scholarship OpportunitiesTwo full scholarships to the Environmental Forum Master Class are available. Prospective recipients are invited to apply to our scholarship programs on their own or may be nominated by an organization, environmental leader, or public agency. Master Class scholarships are valued at over $500 and cover all class expenses, including tuition for the 18–week series, class materials, field trips, and field trip transportation. Students are responsible for providing their own transportation to class. Scholarship applications and nominations are due in July of each year for programs beginning in August. Scholarship DescriptionsThe Environmental Forum of Marin offers two scholarships to students wishing to attend the Master Class. These scholarships honor two stalwart Marin County proponents of land use management and habitat protection. Individually, these men fought at the front lines of several countywide efforts over the years to save land from development and restore critical eco-systems. Collectively, they raised awareness among decision-makers and the public about the importance of defending the environment. The Joseph Kohn Memorial Scholarship honors an Environmental Forum veteran of Master Class 34 and supports the education of a student who has proven himself as an environmental leader. Joseph Kohn, former president of the Marin Chapter of the California Native Plant Society, imbued his love of local fauna and flora on nature walks he led during Orientation Day for several master classes. His rusty voice and soft demeanor called out students’ attention to the little (and big) things humans do without realizing the negative impacts their actions have on plants and animals. He learned his advocacy skills in the Master Class program and went on to testify on habitat and native plant issues at the Marin County Board of Supervisors and the Planning Commission on numerous occasions over the years. Learn about Joe Kohn and the scholarship established in his memory.
The Jerry Friedman Environmental Action Committee Scholarship honors Jerry Friedman, an icon in the history of environmental protection in Marin and supports the enrollment of a West Marin resident in the Master Class.
Appointed by then Marin County Supervisor Gary Giacomini to represent West Marin on the Marin County Planning Commission, Jerry lent his strong and reasoned voice to critical countywide policy decisions and project review for more than 18 years. Learn more about Jerry Friedman and the scholarship which honors his leadership. Future Scholarship Sponsors SoughtThe Environmental Forum of Marin is seeking strategic partners with whom to create and fund new scholarship opportunities. Establishing a scholarship in honor of a founder or key participant in your organization can provide recognition of that person’s contributions while making a valuable educational opportunity available to someone who might not otherwise be able to afford it. Scholarships can be limited to members of your organization or open to the public. You can establish whatever selection criteria you feel are appropriate. For example, the Joseph Kohn and Jerry Friedman scholarships were each created to offer support to specific types of applicants. If your organization wants to sponsor an annual scholarship in honor of a founder, leader, or volunteer, the Environmental Forum can help you determine the form most fitting for your honoree.
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Jerry joined the Founders of the Environmental Forum in the early 1970s to fight some of the hardest environmental battles to face West Marin. Forty years ago, he founded the Environmental Action Committee of West Marin to convince county decision-makers to defeat massive highways and wide-scale development proposed across the agricultural lands of Marin, an effort that led to the creation of A-60 zoning and the historic preservation of ranches and farms in West Marin.