#AllKidsNeedBooks Scholarship
Valorena Publishing & the Cocoa Kids Collection® are proud to announce the #AllKidsNeedBooks Scholarship, a scholarship celebrating storytelling to support book reading, literacy, creativity, and empowerment.
Books shape how children see themselves and the world. That’s why stories reflecting all backgrounds—and told with care—matter deeply, not just so children can see their own stories but so they can learn about others and develop empathy.
This scholarship seeks to uplift the storytellers who are passionate about increasing literacy, making books accessible to all, and creating the kinds of books every child deserves.
Any undergraduate or graduate student may apply for this scholarship opportunity if they are working with picture books - through storytelling, illustration, design, education, or other creative means that:
1.) Feature human characters, especially children of color
2.) Tell empowering stories
3.) Support literacy development in meaningful, measurable ways
To apply, write an essay describing your work based on the prompts below. You are also welcome to share images of your work, efforts, or outcomes to help illustrate your story.
Please describe your work.
1.) What impact has your work had?
How have your efforts—through storytelling or literacy work—made a measurable difference in your community or among readers? Share any reach, engagement, or community response.
2.) What challenges have you faced?
Share a meaningful obstacle you’ve encountered on your storytelling or literacy journey. How did you respond, and what did you learn?
3.) How would this scholarship support your work?
Tell us how receiving the #AllKidsNeedBooks Scholarship would help you further your mission to promote literacy through storytelling.
Your voice matters. We invite you to share your story—because all kids need books, and you’re helping to write that future.
Explore All Kinds of Scholarships for All Kinds of Students
FAQ
The application deadline is Mar 27, 2026. Winners will be announced on Apr 27, 2026.
Your privacy is a top priority on the Bold.org platform, and you can find our privacy policy in full here. You may opt out of communications from Bold.org at any time, and unless we’ve first notified you and gotten your consent, you’ll never receive communication from any third parties related to personal information you give us.
Award amounts per winner are designated by the donor. Check the award amount for a detailed breakdown.
The winner will be publicly announced on Apr 27, 2026. Prior to the announcement date, we may contact finalists with additional questions about their application. We will work with donors to review all applications according to the scholarship criteria. Winners will be chosen based on the merit of their application.
Award checks will be sent to the financial aid office of the winner's academic institution in their name to be applied to their tuition, and in the name of their institution (depending on the school's requirements). If the award is for a qualified educational non-tuition expense, we will work with the winner directly to distribute the award and make sure it goes towards qualified expenses.
Before we award the scholarship, the winner will be required to confirm their academic enrollment status. Depending on the circumstances, verification of Student ID and/or their most recent transcript will be required.
If you have any questions about this scholarship or the Bold.org platform, just email contact@bold.org and we’ll get back to you as quickly as we can.
Yes. The terms and conditions for this scholarship can be found here.