Library foundation to help pay for trade schools

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS - The Arlington Heights Memorial Library Foundation has created three, $2,500 scholarships for students planning to attend a trade school.

Scholarships will be awarded to candidates interested in pursuing a career in the skilled trades that require advanced training other than a four-year bachelor's degree, such as plumbing, carpentry, electrical, HVAC, machining and welding. The scholarships are open to Arlington Heights residents 17 to 25 years of age.

In 2023, the foundation will award two $2,500 Makerplace Scholarships and one $2,500 JPM Scholarship to Arlington Heights students. The scholarships can be applied to tuition, fees and textbooks. While dollars for the Makerplace Scholarships are raised through foundation events and initiatives, the JPM Scholarship is funded by friends and family of the late Arlington Heights resident and maker Jeffrey P Moroney.

The application process will open on Jan. 1 and applications must be submitted by March 1. Applications will be reviewed by the foundation's scholarship committee and scholarship winners will be notified on May 1. For more information, visit www.ahmlfoundation.org/scholarship.

The foundation, which supports the Arlington Heights Memorial Library and helped it establish the new Makerplace, hopes these scholarships will inspire and promote education in the skilled trades.

"The Makerplace has become popular with students who are considering a career that may require education and skill training that will prepare them for a specific job or trade," said John Hartnett, foundation board member and scholarship committee chair. "The foundation wants to support these students as they continue their education and explore their interests."