Born and raised in Providence, Michael was dedicated to improving the lives of Rhode Islanders through his business leadership, civil rights activism, and public service.

RIHousing is seeking applicants for the agency’s Michael S. Van Leesten Memorial Awards program, a new awards program that provides financial assistance to students pursuing a career in the construction trades or a degree related to housing. The awards program honors the life and work of Michael S. Van Leesten, a longtime advocate dedicated to improving the lives of Rhode Islanders through his business leadership, civil rights activism, and public service.

To support students pursuing education and training related to housing, RIHousing is offering two $5,000 scholarship awards, one for a student pursuing a career in the construction trades and a second scholarship for a student pursuing a degree related to housing, including, but not limited to, planning, real estate development, finance, economics, or architecture.
 
The agency is also offering a paid Research & Policy Fellowship for students to develop professional experience in housing policy, research, and analysis. Fellows will work out of RIHousing’s office in Providence full-time (or remotely as necessary) for 12 weeks in the summer and will be paid RIHousing’s standard internship rate, currently $15/hour. 
 
The purpose of this awards program is to provide support to students of color with the goal of increasing opportunities for members of underrepresented groups to learn about and participate both academically and professionally within the housing field. All Rhode Island residents are eligible to apply, regardless of whether they are pursuing education and/or training in Rhode Island or another state.
 
The deadline for applicants is midnight on April 30, 2021. Interested applicants should visit www.rihousing.com/van-leesten-awards for additional information and how to apply.
 
Click here to view and download the flyer for this awards program. We encourage our partners to share this flyer on social media, print it out and help get the word out to local students!