The ACLU of Florida is thrilled to announce four $5,000 scholarships for college and high school students.
The scholarships are open to all graduating Florida high school seniors and graduates of Florida high schools currently enrolled in an accredited vocational school, community college, college, or university. The scholarships seek to engage the state’s up-and-coming civil rights and civil liberties activists.
The application deadline is November 6.
Students are invited to respond to the video prompt below, to conduct their own research, showcase the stakes and importance of our freedoms, and inspire other young Floridians to learn more about Amendment 4.
To apply, students will create a video and post it to either their public TikTok or Instagram profile citing the ACLU FL’s work to protect reproductive freedom and democracy in the state. Once you have done so, upload and submit the links using this form.
Winners will be chosen based on follower reach, views, and user engagement of the video. Videos must speak to the importance of reproductive freedom, the need to limit government interference in private medical decisions and/or the importance of citizen-led ballot initiatives being fair and free from government intervention. Winners will be notified by December 9. No paid staff, board member, or family member of a board or staff member of the ACLU of Florida can apply.
Videos must be educational. Inaccurate content, misinformation, and candidate or party endorsements are disqualifying. You can download the PDF file below for further guidance on the video.
The Prompt
Amendment 4, the citizen-led ballot initiative to limit government interference with abortion, would protect access to abortion through viability in Florida, as was the case under Roe v. Wade for nearly 50 years. The state opposed Amendment 4's placement on the ballot and continues to oppose its passage. From unsuccessfully challenging the language of the amendment to rewriting the amendment’s financial impact statement, sending election police to the homes of petition signers, using taxpayer-funded resources to oppose the amendment and spread misinformation, and threatening TV stations with criminal prosecution for running political ads in favor of Amendment 4, the State has opposed Amendment 4 continuously.
While the challenges may seem never-ending, together we can educate Floridians about Amendment 4 and why it matters.
With so much on the line in our state—a testing ground for anti-democratic policies like censorship, book bans and an extreme abortion ban and practices that undermine the will of Floridians like the unprecedented number of elected officials removed from office by our governor—what is your generation’s vision for a Free Florida and a Free Nation? Why is Amendment 4 so important?
Submit Application