BVA's Visionary Scholar Award of $500 is offered each year to a graduating senior from the Butternut Valley who plans to attend some form of post-secondary program, whether it is college, junior college, a technical training program, or a formal apprenticeship.

Eligibility requires a close connection to the Butternut Valley: either attending school here, working here, summering here, or visiting grandparents regularly (or something similar).

We recognize that not all students find writing essays to be their strength (or may simply be tired of writing essays), so our program accepts applications in a variety of media, including but not limited to dance, poetry, painting, sculpting, photo essays, etc.

Submissions need to respond to the following prompt:

What is your vision for the Butternut Valley in 25 years?

The application will open March 16 and close May 1, 2026.