Scholarship Opportunities

Vital support for students to succeed in Park County and beyond.

The 2026 scholarship application period will run from February 10th to April 10th. Recipients will be announced in May.

David Gibson Memorial Scholarship

David was born on July 25, 1941 in Livingston and received his education at Springdale School and Park County High School. Always ready to help, he shared his vast knowledge in all aspects of agriculture with anyone eager to learn – and even with those not so eager to learn but who needed to be taught the cowboy ways. He was an inventor, a mechanical genius, and a fixer of all things who held a patent on the Gibson Round Bale Feeder. He always had a project going or was helping others with their cattle, fencing, farming, and anything else that he knew needed doing.

After David passed away in 2020 his family established this scholarship, in his honor, for a Park County student wishing to attend a vocational or trade school. The scholarship will be awarded to 2 students per year, with each student receiving $1,000.

Application GuidElines:

A recent or soon-to-be graduate of a Park County high school: Park High, Gardiner, or Shields Valley, or a home-schooled student.
- Planning to attend a vocational or trade school after graduation
- Planning to attend a post-secondary institution for prerequisites before enrolling in a vocational school
- Under the age of 21 and currently enrolled in vocational school
Complete an online application, with a brief essay including the following:
- What got you interested in this particular trade?
- What previous experience have you had with this trade?
- Why do you think you would be good at this trade?
- What is your intended path to receive the necessary education/training in this trade?
Request one letter of recommendation, which may be completed either online or in paper format and delivered to the PCCF office at 104 S. Main St. in Livingston.
- Click HERE to complete the online letter of recommendation form
- Click HERE to download and print the paper version of the letter of recommendation form.

Apply for David Gibson Memorial Scholarship

Barbara Thronson SCholarship

Barbara Thronson, a fourth-generation Montanan, was a life-long learner as well as a teacher and administrator. She earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education, a master’s degree in special education, and pursued doctoral studies at the University of Montana. Most of her career in the classroom, as a principal, and as a superintendent, was spent in rural schools in Montana, California, Idaho, Michigan, and Wyoming. She was known nationally for her advocacy in Washington, D.C., for educational issues. When Barbara passed away she left a bequest that provided four annual scholarships for students graduating from Park County high schools.

Between 2015 and 2022, the Barbara Thronson scholarship awarded multi-year scholarships to the benefit of 43 students from all three Park County high schools. Early graduations, changed majors, and minor deviations in academic plans by some scholarship recipients have left the Park County Community Foundation holding a limited pool of residual scholarship dollars to award in 2026 on behalf of the Thronson family.

Application Guidelines:

In this special one-time application period, we will offer four $2,000 scholarships to students who:
- Graduate from Gardiner, Park, or Shields Valley High School in 2026
- Maintain a cumulative grade point average of 2.5 (4.0 scale) or above
- Plan to attend a post-secondary institution as a full-time student, beginning in the Fall of 2026
Applicant must complete an online application, which includes two essay questions:
- Please describe a time in your life that has shaped who you are as a person.
- Please describe the most significant challenge you've had during high school. How did you overcome that challenge and how will you benefit from it in the future?
Request one letter of recommendation, which may be completed either online or in paper format and delivered to the PCCF office at 104 S. Main St. in Livingston.
- Click HERE to complete the online letter of recommendation form
- Click HERE to download and print the paper version of the letter of recommendation form.