POTOMAC FALLS, Va. — The Education Foundation of the Architectural Woodwork Institute (AWIEF) recently awarded scholarships totaling $80,000 in support of students whose academic curricula are preparing them for careers in the architectural woodwork industry. The funds benefited students who hail from 12 schools.

As part of a record-setting year, the AWIEF Board of Trustees awarded $80,000 in scholarships to 24 recipients, with an average award of $3,300 ranging to a top award of $5,000,” AWI CEO Doug Hague announced. “All completed applications found merit and favor with the AWIEF Board of Trustees that awarded the scholarships. Recipients included seven freshmen in secondary schools and 17 from post-secondary schools. Five females were among the scholarship recipients.”

This year, the annual $50,000 in the Randy Estabrook Scholarship Fund was supplemented with the remaining 2025 funds, totaling $55,600. AWI Member donations in 2025 amounted to $109,500 in support of the endowment, whose distributions in scholarships and grants are central to the AWIEF mission. Because of record-setting giving in 2025, the additional $24,400 was covered by donors. “It truly is a blessing to see these elements working in one accord,” Hague said.

The scholarship funds recently awarded may be used to cover expenses already incurred for the 2026 academic year or for to-be-incurred expenses in the 2027 school year.

“AWIEF, ‘the giving arm of AWI,’ has now distributed more than $481,800 in scholarships since the Foundation was established in 2008 to help assure the architectural woodwork industry has a skilled workforce,” Hague said.

To maintain a healthy Scholarship Fund, AWIEF will host an Annual Fundraising event at the 74th AWI Annual Convention, Oct. 21-23, 2026, in Bonita Springs, Florida.

The submission period for AWIEF scholarship applications for the 2027 academic year opens November 1, 2026, and extends through January 31, 2027. To learn more about AWIEF and its academic initiatives to prepare a future workforce visit the AWI's education foundation Webpage.