National collegiate landscape competition set for March 20-23 at CSU

More than 850 college students from 65 of the nation’s top horticulture and landscape programs will compete in the 38th annual Student Career Days, a National Collegiate Landscape Competition, March 20−23, at Colorado State University. The event is organized by the Professional Landcare Network (PLANET), the national landscape industry association.

Considered the largest collegiate competition event in the country, Student Career Days is the “Olympics of Landscaping.” Students compete in events and attend workshops that are directly related to the skills they’ll need to succeed in the industry: 3-D landscape design, irrigation techniques, hardscape installation, plant identification, business management, and many more.

“The emerging professionals we call our students, will need an extensive set of skills to meet the needs of our environment, customers, and companies,” said Zach Johnson, Landscape Industry Certified, associate professor at Colorado State University. “They will require a core education of science and business with a coupling of design, water management, construction, and landscape management classes. These tools will provide exceptional careers for our students which directly benefit our society by increasing recreational opportunities, creating natural environments, and increasing general well-being.”

In addition to the competition and recruiting events, the PLANET Academic Excellence Foundation (PLANET AEF), a $3.7 million nonprofit foundation that provides academic scholarships to promising students aspiring to be landscape industry professionals, will award 47 scholarships valued at $79,300 at this year’s event.

For additional information on Student Career Days, visit www.studentcareerdays.org.