U.S. Presidential Scholars Foundation Seed Grant Program
So I want to commend to each of you some very serious thought--to ask yourselves, “What can you do for your country and, more important, what can you do for your fellow human beings in the world in the allotted time that you have here?"
– President Lyndon B. Johnson, 1967 Scholar Medallion Ceremony
Many Scholars were asked similar questions at their Medallion ceremony: “What can you do to help others in your community, country, and the world?”
In an effort to provide an avenue for Scholars to use their gifts of intellect and innovation to give back, Presidential Scholars Foundation created a Seed Grant Program to support specific projects led by Scholar alumni. The goal of the program is to support Scholars by providing seed grant money to initiate projects that might otherwise go unfunded.
Seed grants of up to $5,000 have been awarded to Scholar-sponsored programs such as:
Give a Book, Grow a Mind—to combine children’s love for reading and science through a literacy program focused on children of color.
Indie Doorway—to stimulate conversations with young people on mental health through art, science, and social awareness that can support people with disabilities through an interactive streaming platform.
The Big Tree—to address the lack of representation in childhood animation and film through an animated series that showcases a current picture of life in Brooklyn and the African American, Afro-Caribbean, and West African people that shaped much of the area’s cultural heritage.”
Railcare Health—to bring mobile medicine to migrant workers in remote populations, especially needed during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Public Policy Mentorship Lab—to match applicants, particularly young people, with mid-to-high-level professionals working in the public policy arena focused on a specific area of social need, in the spirit of making good social change and to start their own social good initiatives in their communities.
The Soleá Project—to meet the needs of marginalized and isolated groups in Northeast Ohio, such as people with disabilities and those who are incarcerated, through dance and hands-on art activities.
Code for Democracy—to strengthen democratic processes by creating digital tools that support free and fair elections, open governance, and fact-based public policy.
Milk with Dignity Standards Council—to monitor the development of a sustainable dairy industry that advances the human rights of farmworkers, the long-term interests of farmers, and the ethical supply chain concerns of retail food companies through the implementation of the Milk with Dignity Program.
Grace Weber’s Music Lab—to provide high school students with the opportunity to learn about the music and entertainment industries through featured guests and give them a chance to collaborate, perform, and build relationships with their peers.
Back to BACH Project—to visit elementary schools, libraries, and community organizations and share a love of the arts that cannot be contained, continually striving to find new ways to inspire and connect with the next generation to achieve great things through fostering a love of the arts.
Seed Grant Program Applicant Information
U.S. Presidential Scholars Foundation created the Seed Grant Program to support Scholar alumni as they give back to our communities, the U.S. and its territories, and the world at large. The Seed Grant Program contributes to this goal by funding specific projects led by Scholar alumni.
All project proposals submitted by Presidential Scholar alumni are welcome; only Scholars may apply to receive grant funding. Priority may be given to project proposals that are:
Difficult to fund otherwise
Collaborative projects among two or more Scholar alumni
Focused on the Scholar’s home state or territory
Seeking to address unique community issues raised by the Covid-19 pandemic
Grants are awarded in amounts up to $5,000 per project. The application is short and focused on project quality and impact, with limited paperwork. PSF has funded projects that address a variety of initiatives (including arts, technology, civil justice, and civic participation).
U.S. Presidential Scholars Foundation will begin accepting 2024 applications on January 24, 2024. All applications will be due on February 29, 2024 at 11:59 PM U.S. Eastern Time.
