2027 Elevate Scholarship

The International Interior Design Association's Rocky Mountain Chapter is pleased to open the application period for the inaugural year of the Elevate Scholarship. This new scholarship opportunity is intended to celebrate diversity within the Commercial Design Industry & support a pathway to the profession for emerging design talent. 

Eligibility Requirements:

To be considered for the 2027 Elevate Scholarship, applicants must meet the following criteria:

• Be a recent high school graduate, incoming high school senior, or college freshman from a school within the Rocky Mountain Region: Colorado, Wyoming or Montana.

• Identify as BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, or Person of Color).

• Have intent to enroll in an accredited 2-year or 4-year post-secondary education program in the Fall of 2027 with an academic focus in either Interior Design, Architecture, or Environmental Design. The program you enroll in does not need to be within Colorado, Wyoming, or Montana.

Application Requirements:

• Provide (1) official high school transcript for review. 

• Provide (1) letter of recommendation from a former teacher, mentor, coach, employer or other applicable non-related adult.

• Respond to the essay prompt below in 500 words.

• OPTIONAL: Provide 1-3 additional examples of creative work that displays your passion for design.

Submit all Application Requirements as attachments via (1) email to philanthropy@iidarmc.org by Friday, October 30, 2026 11:59 PM MST

Award Information:

• This year, we will be awarding (1) Elevate Scholarship with a monetary amount of $7,500 paid directly to the institution where the recipient plans to enroll. All funds are eligible to be used for tuition, housing, supplies & other associated program expenses.

• All applicants will be notified of their award status by SPRING 2027

• The chosen recipient will be invited to attend the Elevate: Silent Auction Gala event held in November 2027. More details on the event & recipient's participation to follow.

Please submit any questions related to the Elevate Scholarship requirements or award to philanthropy@iidarmc.org

Provide (1) letter of recommendation from a former teacher, mentor, coach, employer or other applicable non-related adult.

Essay Prompt

What drives your creative passion for the built environment & how do you envision elevating the world around you through design? 

Your response should be the equivalent of 500 words and must be submitted as a PDF no greater than 1 MB in file size. AI platforms like ChatGPT may not be utilized for this submission.