Catalyst Creators: Scholarship for Children's Picture Book Manuscripts Featuring Underrepresented Voices

Calling all catalyst changemakers! Join the campaign! Our goal is to give validation, inspiration, and a voice to the underrepresented in children's literature by supporting emerging authors still in high school and college. LET’S RAISE $1000 OR MORE BY THE END OF SUMMER 2025 THE CATALYST CREATORS VISION: Imagine a young writer brimming with passion and a story to tell—one that reflects their unique identity, culture, and dreams. The Catalyst Creators Scholarship exists to directly support these emerging authors by providing the financial assistance they need to bring their stories to life. By investing in these writers, we’re not only empowering them, we’re helping to diversify the books children read. This scholarship goes beyond equity and into the spirit of the daily global citizen, nourishing the keystones of a future connected world that celebrates differences through the education that comes with storytelling. This scholarship supports students who are courageous enough to share authentic stories. By empowering these writers, we’re helping to create a reality where every child can see themselves and their neighbors in the pages of a book. YOUR IMPACT: By donating to the Catalyst Creators Scholarship, you’re making a direct investment in the future of children’s literature. Your contribution will fund a student (or students) working on a picture book manuscript that centers their underserved experience, whether through character, culture, identity, or theme. Recipient(s) may come from any academic and personal background, but they all share a commitment to storytelling for youth that matters. Your donation is tax-deductible and goes fully to the award fund, no cuts taken. Recipient(s) will win the monetary award, as well as receive a packet of information for them to explore publishing further in hopes to continue their creative journey. APPLICATION PROCESS: With our target goal to complete fundraising by the close of Summer 2025, we anticipate this scholarship being open for applications from Fall 2025-2026. Students applying will come from all over the United States. Applicants must submit a picture book manuscript and answer a few essay questions about what children's literature means to them and why they wrote their story. This helps ensure that the recipients are not only creative but intentional in the stories they want to share with the world. THE ANNUAL ASPIRATION: It is our intention for this to be an annual scholarship. If your donation comes later than Summer 2025, please donate anyway. The funds will be reserved for the following year’s reward. Donations can be made at any time. $1 or more makes a difference! Together, we can build a more inclusive literary landscape. Thank you!