The Mahoning Valley Scrappers and the New York-Penn League today announced that the league’s philanthropic arm, the New York-Penn League Charitable Foundation, will once again sponsor a scholarship program allowing area high school seniors the opportunity to compete for one of three $2,500 grand-prize awards.

The 2011 NYPL Scholarship Program is open to any graduating senior from a public or private high school, who has been accepted at any two or four-year college or university, vocational or technical education institution or program. Applicants will be judged based on academic performance, volunteer and extracurricular activities, and the impact the Scrappers and Minor League Baseball have had on their lives.

The Scholarship Program will consist of two stages – a local round and a divisional round. In the local stage, applicants from throughout the Scrappers’ home market will compete against each other to determine one winner who will represent Mahoning Valley in the final round. At the divisional stage, the Scrappers’ representative will compete against the winners from the Auburn Doubledays, Batavia Muckdogs, Jamestown Jammers, State College Spikes and Williamsport Crosscutters for the Pinckney Division’s $2,500 award. Any finalist who does not win the top scholarship will receive a $250 book award.

In total, the New York-Penn League Scholarship Program will award $10,250 in scholarships this summer to deserving high school graduates from the NYPL’s 14 markets.

“The New York-Penn League Charitable Foundation initiated the scholarship program in 2009 as a way to assist high school seniors from within our league’s footprint who not only meet and exceed traditional scholarship criteria, but have also demonstrated the positive benefits their local NYPL club has had on their life,” said Ben J. Hayes, President of the New York-Penn League. “The Foundation is pleased to have this scholarship program in place and to support our 14 member clubs in their year-round community outreach efforts.”

Scholarship applications are available by contacting the Mahoning Valley Scrappers at (330) 505-0000 or by visiting the official website of the New York-Penn League, www.newyork-pennleague.com for details. The deadline to submit applications is June 30, 2011 and finalists will be selected in late July and honored at an August home game.

The New York-Penn League and its 14 member clubs created the New York-Penn League Charitable Foundation, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, in 2003. The mission of the Foundation is to provide focus and support for the collective and individual charitable and community efforts of the New York-Penn League, its Clubs, and their staff.