Ray Tonjes Scholarship & Leadership Award

GBI is supporting promising young adults through the founding of GBI’s Ray Tonjes Scholarship & Leadership Award. This award provides $5,000 annually toward scholarship(s), internship(s), or stipend(s) that result in inspiring and supporting future sustainability leaders within our increasingly diverse, equitable, and inclusive building industry.

For 2024, GBI has once again elected to offer the Ray Tonjes Scholarship & Leadership Award to teams participating in and attending the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon® 2024 Competition Event at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Golden, Colorado, April 19-22, 2024. This award may be used to reimburse eligible expenses related to in-person attendance at the Competition Event as either a Finalist or Exhibition Team. This award is provided at the sole discretion and selection of GBI and is not in the purview of the U.S. Department of Energy or the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.

As the founding chair and longest-serving director of GBI, Ray Tonjes has been critical to GBI’s success and in driving our vision to create sustainable, healthy, and resilient buildings for all. Ray is a strong advocate for volunteerism and leads by example in this regard, having served as a juror for the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon® on multiple occasions. It is with his long-standing dedication to service and commitment to sustainable housing in mind that we are honored to offer the Ray Tonjes Scholarship and Leadership Award. 

All applicants, regardless of award status, will be eligible to enroll in the valued Green Globes Emerging Professional (GGEP) credential training program. The GGEP program is designed for college students and early-career professionals and covers topics such as the importance of green building, an introduction to GBI and the Green Globes® certification system, and sustainability concepts.