• Ages 18–24

• Minimum 2.75 GPA

• California resident for at least 3 years

• Graduating high school seniors or currently enrolled post-secondary students

• Attendance at a regionally accredited high school or college

• Must reside and graduate from the High Desert region

• Typed application (no handwritten submissions)

• 300-word personal statement on how MMK knowledge will be used to impact the community

• Resume (2 pages max)

• Two letters of reference

• Official transcripts

• Proof of college acceptance or academic progress (if applicable)

  Applications are administered through the Dreamers, Visionaries & Leaders (DVL) Scholarship Program and reviewed by a diverse selection committee. A virtual interview may be requested. 

You are eligible to apply for the SchoolHouse Connection Youth Leadership & Scholarship Program if you meet all of the following:

• You currently reside in the United States. (Undocumented applicants are eligible.)
• You were born on or after June 2, 2007.
• You will be starting college for the first time in the 2027–2028 academic year at a: four-year college or university, community college, or trade school. This includes:
  • High school juniors
  • High school seniors planning to take a gap year
  • Students earning a GED who plan to start college in 2027–2028
  • Note: this does not include dual-enrollment courses.
• You have experienced homelessness within the last six years.

Our program begins working with students one year before they start college to provide intensive college readiness support.

1. Eligibility, Demographic, and Education Questions
2. Full High School Transcript
   • Unofficial or official transcripts are accepted
3. Essay (up to 1,000 words) answering all three prompts:
   • Describe your experience of homelessness and how it impacted your education
   • Why is going to college important to you, and what do you want to study?
   • What types of support do you need to be successful in college?
4. Letter(s) of Recommendation
   • At least one, and up to three
   • Letters can be uploaded with your application or submitted directly by your recommender here.

• Be a high school senior in the U.S. who is currently enrolled in or who has completed a high school or college dual degree course where computer science is the subject. Students who have not taken this course can opt-in to take an assessment offered by Amazon.

• Must be authorized to work in the U.S. Example: Employment Authorization Document holder, Permanent Resident, or U.S. Citizen.

• Must demonstrate financial need. This opportunity is to support students with a substantial need for financial assistance.

• Be planning to attain a bachelor’s degree in computer science, software engineering, computer engineering, electrical engineering, or other computer science related field of study from an accredited 4-year college or from a 2-year college with the intent to transfer to a 4-year college.

• Have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.3 on a 4.0 scale (or its equivalent).

Amazon Future Engineer Scholarship empowers the next generation of tech innovators. As a high school senior, you can launch your tech career with this opportunity. Turn your passion for tech into your future.

We use a holistic selection process that considers numerous criteria and materials you provide to choose winners across the nation. This includes things like:

• How you do in the classroom, primarily based on GPA
• Real-world experience – Including coding clubs, after- school clubs, self-taught projects, hackathons and related activities
• Work experience
• Short answer responses
• Financial need – Usually based on household income

When you submit your application, we’ll look at all these areas to get a full picture of your fit for this scholarship.

A single application is used for the following two scholarships.

Applicants to the Riverside Sheriffs’ Association Memorial Scholarship must be:

• Dependent* children of an active, regular (LEU), retired, affiliate (PSU) or associate (MGMT) member of the Riverside Sheriffs’ Association.
  *Dependent children are defined as natural and legally adopted children or stepchildren living in the member’s household or primarily supported by the employee and claimed as a dependent on the member’s federal income tax.
• High school seniors, high school graduates, or undergraduates who plan to enroll or who are currently enrolled in full-time undergraduate study at an accredited two- or four-year college, university, vocational-technical, or trade school in the United States for the entire upcoming academic year.

Applicants to the Riverside County Deputy Sheriff Relief Foundation Scholarship must be:

• Citizens of the United States
• Residents of Riverside County, California
• High school seniors, high school graduates, or undergraduates who plan to enroll or who are currently enrolled in full-time undergraduate study at an accredited two- or four-year college, university, vocational-technical, or trade school in the United States for the entire upcoming academic year.

As part of your application, you must upload the following:

NOTE: If you are providing SAT or ACT test scores, and those scores are not listed on your high school transcript, you will need to upload a copy of your test score report(s) separately. If you are uploading a college transcript, those scores are not required.

• A current, complete transcript of grades. Grade reports are not accepted. Transcripts must display:
  • Student name
  • School name
  • Grades
  • Credit hours for each course and term in which each course was taken.
• Optional: Supplemental Financial Data Form, if applicable. This form is needed only if parents cannot submit data jointly on the electronic application.

Your application is not complete unless all required materials are submitted electronically.

All required information must be properly submitted no later than Tuesday, January 20 by 11:59 p.m. All finalists must be available for a Zoom interview either Saturday, February 1 in the morning or Sunday, February 2 in the afternoon.

Required Documents

1. The Date Festival Scholarship Application on this page
2. A 500-word essay on the topic: "The Importance of Community". Please include personal experiences to support your thoughts
3. Unofficial Transcripts grades/transcripts; including unweighted cumulative GPA from the attendance office–Official Transcripts must be received before award
4. School identification card

Scholarship finalists will be chosen based on the aforementioned items. AI generated essays are not allowed and all essays will be checked. Recipients of the Scholarship will be chosen from the finalists based on an interview with a judging panel. This interview will be conducted via Zoom during the pre-scheduled time frames. Interview questions will relate to the student’s essay, school transcript, aspirations, and basic knowledge regarding the Riverside County Fair and National Date Festival.

• Five recipients will be selected
• Each recipient will receive an award of $4,000 USD spread over 4 years
• The award must be renewed each year to receive successive funds (details to come)
• Application deadline is March 1, 2026
• 10 entrants will be selected as finalists for video call interviews by March 31, 2026
• Recipients are announced by mid-April 2026

• Be a degree-seeking, full-time student enrolling in a U.S. accredited university in Fall 2026 as a Freshman or transferring from a community college
• Identify as Asian American / Pacific Islander
• Have a track record of involvement and interest in AAPI communities, issues, or causes
• Have demonstrated financial need for the scholarship
• Be a US citizen, resident, or foreign national. Undocumented students are also welcome to apply.

The application consists of a video submission (link) responding to one of the three prompts below. We want to hear your stories - we encourage creativity, honesty, and originality (this should not be a rehash of your resume)! Your submission is based on its message and personal perspective, not fancy editing or film techniques. Simple, honest conversation is what matters most. Your video can be filmed on a phone, in any language, and can include subtitles if helpful. If you are selected as a recipient, with your permission, we plan to share your submission with our audiences. Videos should be between 1 and 5 minutes long. Remember to focus on clarity and storytelling. Your message matters more than editing or length.
 

• Intergenerational Conversations: Record a short video conversation with a family member, mentor, or community elder about what being AAPI means to them. Share what you have learned and how it has shaped your own sense of identity.
• What Home Sounds Like: Capture or describe the sounds that remind you of home such as family conversations, street noises, cooking, music, or any soundscape that carries meaning for you. Explain why these sounds are important and how they connect to your AAPI identity or sense of belonging.
• Roots and Routes: Trace the journey of your family or community (this can be across oceans, states, or generations). Explain where your roots began and how those paths have shaped who you are today. Reflect on what you have or have not inherited, such as values or traditions, and how those continue to grow in new places.

In addition, applicants should provide the FAFSA SAI (student aid index). If you are unable to provide this document, please provide substitute documentation and elaborate in the financial aid section.

REQUIREMENTS 

1. Scholarship Application
2. Student Essay (see below)
3. One signed letter of recommendation from a liaison, teacher, counselor, pastor, or community leader (see below)
4. School Transcript (awards are not based on GPA; however, your transcript must show academic improvement)

STUDENT ESSAY:
Essay must be written by the student, typed, maximum of two pages, double-spaced, 12 point, Times New Roman font and must answer all five of the following questions:

1. describe your adversity (challenges and/ or hardships), and did it impact your education? if so, how?
2. explain how you overcame adversity
3. state the college, trade, or technical school you plan to attend
4. describe your educational and career goals.

LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION
(must be signed): Provide one page letter describing the
student’s involvement with homelessness, foster Care (current or former), probation, or other high-risk
circumstances. The letter should also highlight how the student has overcome adversity and describe their educational goals

Each applicant must submit the following: 

1.  A current transcript of classes and most recent grades;
2. A listing of community service hours acquired over the last two years, including where those hours were served;
3. A 500-word essay describing their educational and career plans along with an explanation of why they are deserving of the scholarship;
4. Letter of reference from a minimum of two non-family members (preferably from teachers); and
5. Proof of Victorville residency

Scholarship recipients are selected based on: 

• Need
• Community Service
• Scholastic Ability