Scholarship Opportunity in the Arts - Arts for Life

Columba Bush Launches 2012-2013 Arts for Life! Scholarship Program

Tallahassee, FL - Columba Bush and the Foundation for Excellence in Education today launched the 2012-2013 Arts for Life! Program.

Annually, Arts for Life! recognizes 25 graduating high school seniors from across Florida for outstanding achievement in the arts. Each recipient receives a $1,000 cash scholarship toward their pursuit of the arts in higher education.

Columba Bush, Florida's First Lady from 1999-2007, is a passionate advocate for the arts and arts education. In 1999, she established Arts for Life!, a scholarship program to recognize the creativity and artistic talents of high school students throughout Florida. To date, the program has awarded scholarships to more than 325 gifted high school seniors representing the visual arts, dance, drama, music and creative writing.

To be considered for an Arts for Life! scholarship, students must:

* Be a graduating high school senior from a public, private or home education program in Florida.

* Submit a completed application, a brief essay explaining "How the arts have positively influenced my life" and a sample of their work in the visual arts, dance, drama, music or creative writing.

A committee of judges for each of the five disciplines, comprised of respected experts, reviews and scores the students' essays and work samples. Scholarships are given to the top scorers in each discipline and will be awarded in the Spring of 2013.

To apply for a 2012-2013 Arts for Life! scholarship, interested students should visit www.ArtsforLifeAward.org for an official application and more information on additional requirements. Applications must be received on or before February 1, 2013. If you have questions or would like further information, please contact the Foundation for Excellence in Education at (850) 391-4090.