Scholarship Competition

Graphic featuring Dr. King's silhouette behind multiple microphones
This year's theme is Blueprints for Change: Living the Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

2025-26 Scholarship Open

This year, we focus on a statements Dr. King made in October 1967 to a group of middle school students at Barratt Junior High School in Philadelphia. His speech, What Is Your Life鈥檚 Blueprint?, was delivered during one of the most turbulent periods in American history. We ask students to connect their personal experiences with the speech, find modern relevance, and explore themes of justice, equality, self-identity, and education.

Guidelines and Prompt

The MLK Scholarship Competition offers enrolled students a chance to prepare and deliver a response addressing a prompt for a scholarship reward.

  • sa国际传媒官网网页入口 students may prepare and record a speech or spoken word piece.
  • MVUSD and VVUSD high school students may write an essay.

In 1967, the United States was at a crossroads. The Civil Rights Movement had achieved major legislative victories, yet deep racial and economic inequalities persisted. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., speaking to young students at Barratt Junior High School, understood that the struggle for justice was not only fought in the streets and courts鈥攊t was also fought within the heart and mind of each young person.

Amidst the chaos of the Vietnam War, growing social unrest, and rising frustration among marginalized communities, Dr. King offered a message of hope and self-determination. He challenged students to see themselves as architects of their own destiny, capable of building lives grounded in dignity, purpose, and moral strength. He reminded them that excellence is not defined by fame or position, but by doing one鈥檚 work so well that 鈥渢he living, the dead, or the unborn could do it no better.鈥�

Nearly six decades later, his words continue to speak to a generation facing its own defining challenges鈥攊nequality, polarization, climate change, and questions of identity and purpose. Dr. King鈥檚 Blueprint calls us to imagine not just what kind of future we want, but what kind of people we must become to build it.

Connect the lessons of history to your personal story and demonstrate how Dr. King's vision continues to shape your understanding of leadership and purpose and how it influences issues of today. Your response should also address:

  • How does Dr. King鈥檚 What Is Your Life's Blueprint? address the social and historical challenges of his time?
  • How do those same themes鈥攄ignity, purpose, integrity, justice, and excellence鈥攔emain relevant in your community and your generation?
  • What are the main pillars of your personal blueprint, and how will you use them to make a positive difference in your life and in the lives of others?
  • In what ways can Dr. King's message inspire action toward equity, justice, and unity in today's world?
  • Eligibility: Open to enrolled sa国际传媒官网网页入口 students
  • Awards:
    • Speech: $1,000 scholarship; $500 scholarship; $250 scholarship
    • Spoken Word: $500 scholarship
  • Due: Sunday, November 30 at 11:59 pm
  • Selection and Acceptance: All applicants will be notified whether they have been selected. All scholarship recipients must be able to attend the MLK Scholarship Ceremony. You may be asked to present your response at the Ceremony.
  • Response Format: Choose one of two ways to respond meaningfully to the prompt: a 5 - 7 minute speech or a spoken word piece no longer than 7 minutes long. You will submit both a written response AND a link to a recording of giving your speech or spoken word performance.
    • Type your response. Use MLA or APA format, double spaced, with a cover page. You will be uploading a Word or PDF document. Your works cited can be pasted into the separately.
    • Record your performance. A link to a recorded performance (hosted on YouTube) must also be provided. Students may be invited to an in-person presentation of their work.
    • Cite Your Sources. When incorporating content from a book, speech, or other sources, give proper attribution in your manuscript by including the name, date, and type of the source you are citing.
    • Format Requirements. The name of the student should NOT appear anywhere on the document with the exception of the cover page. Each submission must have a cover page with the following information: your full name, student ID, phone number with area code and email address. The page number and your 7-digit student ID should be in the top right-hand corner of each page.
  • How to Submit: Register for the scholarship and submit your response through the online MLK Scholarship entry form by the deadline.
  • Resources:

Prompt Flyer (pdf)

In October 1967, during one of the most turbulent periods in American history, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered What Is Your Life鈥檚 Blueprint? to a group of middle school students at Barratt Junior High School in Philadelphia.

At that time, Dr. King had faced increasing criticism for expanding his work beyond civil rights to include poverty, housing inequality, and opposition to the Vietnam War. Cities across America, including Philadelphia, were grappling with segregation, underfunded schools, and limited economic opportunities for Black and working-class communities.

Despite these challenges, Dr. King chose to speak directly to young people 鈥� not about protest or policy, but about self-worth, moral integrity, and purpose. He urged them to design a blueprint for their lives that would serve as a foundation for personal and collective progress.

His message was simple but powerful: even in a world filled with injustice, each person must believe in their own 鈥渟omebodiness鈥� and commit to excellence in everything they do.

Today, as our society continues to confront issues of increased housing and food insecurity, mental health, civic division, and gaps in what constitutes humanity, Dr. King鈥檚 message remains a timeless call to action 鈥� reminding us that change begins with how we build our own blueprints for life.

Reflect on Dr. King鈥檚 What Is Your Life鈥檚 Blueprint? and its meaning in today鈥檚 world. In a 750 - 1,000 word essay, address the following questions:

  • What social or historical issues made Dr. King鈥檚 message especially important in 1967 and how is his message relevant today?
  • How do the ideas of dignity, purpose, and excellence apply to challenges young people face today 鈥� such as access to education, equality, or self-identity?
  • What does your life鈥檚 blueprint look like? What values, goals, or principles guide the person you are becoming?
  • How can you use your education, leadership, or voice to help build a more just and compassionate world?

Your response should connect Dr. King鈥檚 ideas to your own experiences and aspirations, showing how his call to build a strong foundation still resonates for a new generation

  • Eligibility: Current 9th through 12th grade students from Moreno Valley and Val Verde unified school districts (MVUSD and VVUSD).
  • Awards: Four $500 awards.
  • Due: Sunday, November 30, 11:59 pm
  • Response format: 750 to 1,500 word essay, typed.
    • You do not need to worry about any essay formatting (bold, italics) as you will be inputting the text directly in the .
      • Ensure there is an extra line between your paragraphs.
      • Use quotation marks for titles.
      • Denote sources in the body of your essay in .
      • Use to construct your works cited, which can be added to a separate response field.
  • Acceptance Requirements: If chosen, you will be contacted by sa国际传媒官网网页入口 representatives. You will be asked to submit a portrait photo and expected to attend the Martin Luther King, Jr. Scholarship Ceremony to accept your scholarship award.
  • How to Submit: Register for the scholarship and submit your response through the online MLK Scholarship entry form by the deadline.
  • Resources:

Prompt Flyer (pdf)