Tweed Aquaculture Scholarship Fishing to Raise Funds with New Web Based Donation Site
(Sandy Hook, NJ) — The New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium (NJSGC) is hoping to raise some clams through a newly created web-site: http://www.gofundme.com/StewTweed-Scholarship to help sustain its Stew Tweed Fisheries and Aquaculture Scholarship Fund. The scholarship fund was established in 2007 in memory of Stew Tweed, a highly respected former 27-year veteran of the organization’s marine advisory program. Two annual scholarships have become a reliable competitive resource for students who plan to continue their studies in the fields of fisheries and aquaculture.
In 2013, in response to the challenging economic climate and the escalating costs of higher education, NJSGC increased the monetary value of the each award by $500.00. The graduating high school senior now receives $1,500 while the undergraduate/graduate award winner receives $2,000 to use toward their education. According to Kim Kosko, Director of Communications and founder of the scholarship project, “NJSGC wanted to emphasize its commitment to supporting the next generation of fisheries and aquaculture specialists, and felt increasing the scholarship amounts was one small way we could do that during these trying economic times.”
“The importance of New Jersey’s coastal economy was more evident than ever following Superstorm Sandy” said Kosko. “We want to recognize that by supporting students willing to dedicate themselves to the science of fisheries and aquaculture, and apply that knowledge to ensuring the sustainability of the state’s future seafood supply.”
Kosko noted that increasing the scholarship will require more innovative and focused fundraising in order for the project to meet its ten year survival goal. “We’ve been successful for six years raising money to fund the scholarship, but realize we have to come up with new and creative ways to keep it going. We’re currently developing several special events and activities to support the fund but thought the user-friendly donation site would appeal to a broad range of people, especially in today’s technology-oriented environment. Anyone who’d like to make a donation in any amount, small or large, can just go to the web page and make a safe secure contribution to the scholarship fund in less than a minute. The web site can also take advantage of social media opportunities and word-of-mouth marketing. Another big advantage to using this web-based fundraising site is the fact NJSGC is based in central New Jersey, while a large share of Stew’s friends, family, former colleagues and support base are from further south in Atlantic and Cape May Counties and all along the Delaware Bay.” Kosko added.
The New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium is an affiliation of colleges, universities and other groups dedicated to advancing knowledge and stewardship of New Jersey’s marine and coastal environment. NJSGC meets its mission through its innovative research, education and outreach programs. For more information, visit NJSGC on the web at njseagrant.org or on social media at facebook.com/NJSeaGrant and twitter.com/NJSeaGrant.