We are pleased to announce that the Scholastic Awards Alumni Microgrant Program will accept applications from January 3-31, 2024. In its thirteenth year, the program nurtures our alumni’s development in their chosen field of creative inquiry and has impacted hundreds of individuals since its founding.
Alumna, journalist, and New York Times bestselling author Amy Kaufman will serve as the juror for the 2024 program. She is a columnist at the Los Angeles Times, where she writes a monthly A-1 column, “For Real with Amy Kaufman.” The series examines the lives of icons, underdogs, and rising stars to find out who the people are shaping our culture—for real. Since joining the Los Angeles Times in 2009, she has profiled hundreds of influential figures, including Stevie Nicks, Kevin Hart, and Lady Gaga. She also works on investigations and was part of the 2022 Pulitzer Prize finalist team that covered the tragic shooting on the Rust film set. Her work often shines a light on the darker side of the entertainment business, and she has uncovered misconduct allegations against Randall Emmett, Russell Simmons, and Chris D’Elia. In 2018, her book Bachelor Nation: Inside the World of America’s Favorite Guilty Pleasure became a New York Times bestseller. Amy received a Scholastic Awards Gold Medal Portfolio Award in 2004.
About the Alumni Microgrant Program
The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards Alumni Microgrant Program supports creative projects by alumni of the Awards. Created to support alumni across all disciplines, states, and countries, this program seeks clear and compelling proposals that advance alumni development in their chosen field of creative inquiry.
We define creative inquiry as any investigation that informs our humanity and/or serves as a call to action promoting racial and social justice. Relevant projects can approach that inquiry through art, writing, performance, technology, math, and the social, natural, and/or physical sciences.
Qualifying projects and related expenses encompass a range of possibilities, including: the cost of travel to conduct research; participation fee for a conference, writer’s retreat or residency; production costs for an exhibition, a public installation, a print edition, or a film; fulfillment of a component to complete a master’s thesis project or doctoral dissertation; and assistance for a curatorial or community-based project or event, among many options. For examples of alumni projects that have been funded by our microgrant program in the past, please visit our blog.
Ten $1,000 grants will be awarded after proposals are reviewed by staff of the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers and our judge, Amy Kaufman. Exemplary proposals will demonstrate passion and dedication for the proposed projects. Applications will be accepted until January 31, 2024, at 11:59 pm EST.
The 2024 Alumni Microgrant Program is made possible by the Maurice R. Robinson Fund.
Eligibility
- Must be a past Scholastic Awards recipient.
- Currently enrolled high school and undergraduate students are not eligible.
- Previous recipients of this microgrant are ineligible.
How to Apply
All alumni must complete an online application to be considered for a microgrant. The application opens on January 3, 2024 and closes on Wednesday, January 31, 2024, at 11:59 pm ET.
Application opens here on January 3, 2024
If you have any questions, please email support@artandwriting.org.