Orangutan Caring Scholarship Program

Orangutan Outreach is proud to be working with Dr. Gary Shapiro to sponsor several scholarships for Indonesian students pursuing degrees in biology, conservation and other orangutan-related fields. We have joined a growing list of participating orangutan conservation organizations in sponsoring several scholarships on an annual basis. 

The Orangutan Caring Scholarship (OCS) was established in 2006 as a joint program of the Orang Utan Republik Education Initiative (OUREI, now OURF) and the Sumatran Orangutan Society's Orangutan Information Center (SOS-OIC; now Yayasan Orangutan Sumatra Lestari-OIC).

The purpose of the program is to award talented and needy Indonesian students in Sumatra with tuition funding allowing them to attend college and graduate programs in Forestry and Biology. Through the program, recipients develop an understanding of the plight of the orangutan from the perspective of the nongovernmental organization. They graduate as advocates of orangutan conservation when entering the government workforce. The collaboration between OUREI (now OURF) and OIC has allowed this program to expand based on available funding. OURF raises and provides the funding and OIC administers the actual competition via outreach to schools, evaluates of submitted proposals, and oversees the selection process to determine the recipients.

The OCS is open to Indonesian students in North Sumatra and Aceh seeking tuition funds for Forestry, Biology, or Veterinary School. One of the requirements of the applicant is to make an effective presentation to a review committee about their research plans. In addition, recipients are expected to work with OIC in learning about the orangutan and its plight, and in helping present the information to students in local schools. Indonesian students wishing to obtain information about applying for the OCS should contact OIC at info@orangutancentre.org.

Since beginning this program, 33 students have received the OCS. Previous recipients of the OCS are extremely grateful for this support. Click here if you would like to read a profile about each student (2006-2010) as they express their appreciation and aspirations. [PDF document]

The cost of administering one scholarship (2011) is approximately US$1,200. That single scholarship allows the recipient to be able to pay for school tuition for four years as well as cover the costs of research and the final writeup. Donations are fully tax-deductible.

The program is currently in North Sumatra. We are hoping to bring it to West Kalimantan this coming year. Anyone wishing to contribute should contact us to elarn how to do so. The cost breakdown is as follows:

A four year scholarship = $1,200
Scholarship assistance for 1 year = $300
Scholarship assistance for 1 semester = $150

Learn more about the scholarship program on the Orang Utan Republik Foundation website.