New Scholarship Highlights Need for Liberal Arts

(Olympia, Wash.) Washington state high school seniors now have a valuable new reason to think about liberal arts: several thousand dollars in scholarships.

A group of top Washington state public and private colleges and universities, the Washington Consortium for the Liberal Arts, has just announced a scholarship essay contest for Washington state high school seniors enrolled during the 2013-14 academic year. The first prize winner will receive a $3,000 scholarship to a Washington Consortium for the Liberal Arts (WaCLA) school, the second prize is a $2,000 scholarship, and third prize offers $1,000.

“We want to help focus attention on the power and value of the liberal arts,” said Michael Zimmerman, vice-president for academic affairs at The Evergreen State College. “A solid grounding in liberal arts is a foundation for career success, whether in science, business, technology or other areas. It’s also essential to a strong democracy.”

Schools in the consortium include the University of Washington, The Evergreen State College, Washington State University, Whitman College, South Puget Sound Community College, Eastern Washington University and several others throughout the state.

The essay contest asks participants to discuss the relationship between the liberal arts and democratic principles, in no more than 500 words. The deadline for submissions is Friday, January 31, 2014 at 5:00 p.m. PST. Contest winners will be announced in mid-March.