Annual National ACLU Youth Scholarship Awards

The national ACLU gives out ten awards of $4000 each to students around the country who have been active leaders or participants in a civil rights or civil liberties struggle. Submission information is located in the press release.

ACLU YOUTH SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS

The national ACLU gives out ten awards of $4000 each to students around the country who have been active leaders or participants in a civil rights or civil liberties struggle. Nominations should be sent, by December 1, to:

Kary L. Moss, Esq.
Executive Director
ACLU of Michigan
60 West Hancock
Detroit, MI 48226

Criteria
Candidates must be graduating seniors who intend to go to college during the next academic year. They must have demonstrated a strong commitment to civil liberties through some form of student activism.

Examples include

• playing a leadership role in establishing a students civil liberties club or group;
• demonstrating a commitment to a particular ACLU issue through such activities as organizing a rally, circulating a petition, etc.;
• serving actively as a plaintiff in an ACLU lawsuit;
• participating in an affiliate student or youth-oriented activity;
• serving on the affiliate board of directors or some other leadership committee (but not at the national level).

Process
The student candidate must write a personal essay describing his or her reason for becoming a civil liberties/civil right activist. Each state office will make one recommendation that will be forwarded to the national office for a final selection.

The criteria for a scholarship award will be: (a) strength and depth of the candidate's contributions to civil liberties and the rights of young people; (b) the likelihood of their continuing commitment in the future; and (c) the obstacles the candidate had to overcome (e.g., living in a hostile community).

Timeline
December 1, 2001. Student statement must be submitted to the ACLU of Michigan.

December 15, 2001: Affiliates submit candidate applications to Public Education Department for duplication and distribution to judges.

February 15, 2002: Judges select 10 winners.

March 15, 2002: Scholarship funds distributed to winners.