Now Accepting 2026 Edwin Marsh Memorial Scholarship Applications
2026 EDWIN MARSH MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATIONS
PLEASE DISTRIBUTE TO MEMBERSHIP
- Up to four (4) scholarships for the 2026-2027 academic year will be awarded to up to four (4) applicants who shall be one of the following:
- an immediate family member of a building trades union member who is a full-time college or vocational training student, or
- a building trades union affiliated apprentice, or
- a building trades union member engaged in furthering his/her education or skills to the benefit of his/her craft and Indiana’s Building Trades Unions.
The value of each scholarship is $1,000.00. Each applicant must be a member or dependent child of a member of a local building trades union in good standing with the Indiana State Building and Construction Trades Council.
2. The winners will be selected from all entrants who submit a short essay on the below listed 2026 Essay Topic.
3. Each essay should be between 600 and 1,500 words in length, be typewritten, double-spaced, and follow APA guidelines for formatting style.
4. Entries MUST include a cover sheet with the following information:
- Student’s name,
- Mailing address,
- E-mail address,
- Name of university, college, or vocational school which he/she is attending or plans to attend; or the name of joint apprenticeship training center in which entrant is currently enrolled; or the name of the building trades local union and continuing education sought or engaged in,
- His/her relationship to a building trades union member, the member’s name, and the name of the local union of which that person is a member in good standing.
5. Entries MUST be mailed to: The Edwin Marsh Memorial Scholarship Fund, c/o Indiana State Building and Construction Trades Council, 150 W. Market St., Suite 805, Indianapolis, IN 46204. Emailed entries will not be accepted.
6. Entries MUST be postmarked by June 12, 2026. Entries postmarked after this time will not be considered. A seven-day delivery time will be allowed for receipt of essays from the deadline, after which the review process will begin.
7. When received, each essay will be assigned a number. A master list will show the number and the name of the person submitting the essay. The review committee will NOT see the name of the applicant or the cover sheet accompanying the essay. Any personal information included within the essay will be redacted, along with any trade identifiers. Therefore, the review committee makes their selection based solely on the content of the essay.
8. All essays submitted shall become the property of the Indiana State Building and Construction Trades Council and entrants give express permission for publication of all entries including the name of each author.
9. The Executive Board of the Indiana State Building and Construction Trades Council shall administer this scholarship program, and its decision shall be final.
10. Selection of scholarship recipients will be announced on or after July 15, 2026. Winners will be notified by both e-mail and U.S.P.S. Mail. Those not selected will be notified via e-mail.
2026 Edwin Marsh Memorial Scholarship Essay Topic
Data centers are critical to powering the digital services people rely on every day and support a significant number of construction jobs, yet many communities express concerns about their development. What steps can be taken to ensure these projects are developed responsibly and provide lasting benefits for both local communities and Indiana’s union construction workforce?
*Reminder: Any personal information or specific trade connection identifiers included in your essay will be redacted prior to committee review.
