For the second year in a row, Mountainside Treatment Center in Canaan, Conn., will provide $10,000 in academic scholarships to high school juniors and seniors. This year, Mountainside is expanding its reach to include students in Pennsylvania to increase accessibility and provide an opportunity for Pennsylvania natives to win this financial award.

The treatment provider has created the Mountainside Brighter Future College Scholarship to foster awareness and education about addiction among youths and empower students who have been impacted by substance use disorders to share their stories. Through providing academic scholarships, the treatment center hopes to reduce the stigma surrounding substance use disorders, encourage youths not to be ashamed to share their struggles, and educate others on the dangers of drug and alcohol abuse.

Interested students will need to complete an initial application and then submit a short essay explaining how they have been impacted by their own or a loved one's substance use disorder. The writing sample should also detail how the student's personal experiences have shaped his or her understanding of addiction as a disease.

The deadline to apply for a scholarship is Monday, May 15, and winners will be announced on or around Monday, June 5. For more information about the scholarship and the essay guidelines, visit https://mountainside.com/scholarships/brighter-future.