NARROWSBURG – The Delaware Highlands Conservancy is now accepting applications from eligible high school seniors for the Vanessa Joy Van Gorder Memorial Scholarship. The $2,500 scholarship is open to students in school districts bordering the Upper Delaware River in New York and Pennsylvania, including Hancock Central, Deposit Central, Eldred, Monticello, and Sullivan West in NY, and Wallenpaupack Area, Honesdale, Delaware Valley, and Western Wayne in PA.

In 2015, the Conservancy established the scholarship in memory of Vanessa Joy Van Gorder. A recent graduate from West Chester University with a degree in education, Vanessa was passionate about the outdoors and loved exploring the lakes, rivers, and forests of the Upper Delaware River Region with her friends and family. The scholarship is open to high school seniors pursuing a career in education or environmental stewardship. 

Students at eligible districts should contact their guidance counselors for applications. Applications must be submitted through the school’s guidance counselor for transmittal to the Delaware Highlands Conservancy Scholarship Committee by March 20, 2026. Recipients of the scholarship will be notified in May.