ATSS Foundation scholarships offer opportunity for education & healing

Applications for the Roadway Worker Memorial Scholarship are due Feb.. 15

As part of the American Traffic Safety Services Foundation’s (ATSS Foundation) mission to support the loved ones of those impacted by work zone crashes, the nonprofit’s scholarship programs offer healing and educational opportunities.

The ATSS Foundation offers three scholarship programs: the Roadway Worker Memorial Scholarship, the Experience Camps Travel Scholarship and the Marty Weed Engineering Scholarship.

The Roadway Worker Memorial Scholarship provides financial assistance for post-secondary education to the spouses and children of roadway workers killed or permanently disabled in work zone crashes. The scholarships, valued at up to $10,000, are awarded annually and help family members pursue their dreams. For the 2019-20 school year, nine students received scholarships.

Foundation President David Krahulec of Horizon Signal Technologies Inc. in Reading, Pa., said he looks forward to the day when there is no longer a need for the Roadway Memorial Scholarships because work zone crashes no longer occur.

“Until then, the ATSS Foundation is proud to provide scholarship funds for students pursuing a post-secondary education whose lives have been affected by a work zone incident. The highlight of my service on the ATSS Foundation Board has been meeting the scholarship recipients throughout the years, and with the generous support of our ATSSA Members, helping them achieve their dreams of a college education,” Krahulec said.

The deadline for the 2020-21 academic year scholarships is Feb. 15. Applications for the Roadway Worker Memorial Scholarship are available online.

The Foundation’s Experience Camps Travel Scholarship offers dependents impacted by work zone crashes an opportunity to meet other children and teens who have been through similar situations. The camps provide youth a safe environment to work through their grief while also participating in fun activities.

Experience Camps are free, run for one week and are held at sites across the country. The Foundation scholarship covers the travel-related costs for the child and a guardian.

Following is a list of camps and dates for summer 2020.

• Camp Blue Ridge, Mountain City, Ga., Aug. 3-8, for boys and girls entering grades four through 10 in the 2020-21 school year.
• Green Oak Ranch, Vista, Calif., Aug. 3-8, for girls entering grades 4 through12 in the 2020-21 school year.
• Green Oak Ranch, Vista, Calif., Aug. 10-15, for boys entering grades 4 through 12 in the 2020-21 school year.
• Camps Equinunk and Blue Ridge, Equinunk, Pa., Aug. 17-22, for boys entering grades four through 12 and girls entering grades four through 11 in the 2020-21 school year.
• Camp Manitou in Oakland, Maine and Camp Somerset in Smithfield, Maine, Aug. 24-29, for boys entering grades four through 12 and girls entering grades four through nine in the 2020-21 school year.
• Camps Lake of the Woods and Greenwoods in Decatur, Mich., Aug. 25-30, for boys and girls entering grades four through eight in the 2020-21 school year.
• Applications for 2020 Experience Camp Scholarships must be submitted by May 1.

The Marty Weed Engineering Scholarship honors longtime ATSSA member Marty Weed. It provides financial assistance for new engineers to attend ATSSA’s Annual Convention & Traffic Expo, giving them the opportunity to strengthen their discipline skills and network with leaders in the industry. Application details are available online.

The ATSS Foundation provides many ways to contribute in support of the scholarship programs. For questions, please contact Foundation Associate Director Lori Diaz at foundation@atssa.com.