Growing Up In America Art, Essay & Video Contest
Direct application
Up to $1,000
10 winners
Eligibility
Education level
High school
About this scholarship
Kindergarten through 12th grade students in Santa Clara, San Francisco, Contra Costa, Marin, Sonoma, Solano, Napa, Alameda, or San Mateo counties may submit art, essay, or video entries to AACI's Growing Up in America contest in partnership with NBC Bay Area.
Ten awards are granted: one $1,000 Lance Lew Grand Prize and nine $500 Best in Class awards across grade categories (K-5, 6-8, 9-12) and contest categories (art, essay, video).
Submit entries online during the application window. The contest gives Bay Area youth a platform to explore and celebrate cultural identity through civic engagement. It was founded more than 25 years ago by Lance Lew of NBC Bay Area.
Essay question
What else to submit
- Online art, essay, or video contest entry
- Essay entries: response to the prompt 'Growing Healthy Connections' in 500 words or fewer
- Essay should be 500 words MAXIMUM
- File size maximum 250 MB; accepted formats .pdf or .word (Word)
- Hand-written essays accepted if scanned and submitted online
- Eligibility: grades K-12 who live or attend school in nine specified Bay Area / California counties
- Suggested (optional) questions to spark ideas, not required to answer all: Who are some healthy connections in your life? / What makes a relationship healthy, safe, and supportive for you? / How does
- Art and Video are separate submission categories (not required for the essay category)
- Eligible students must live in or attend school in one of the nine named Bay Area counties.
- Art and video are separate entry categories; applicants need submit only the entry type for their selected category.
- Maximum upload size is 250 MB; accepted essay file formats include PDF or Word, and handwritten essays may be scanned and submitted online.