Entering its twentieth year, the Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes was established in 2001 by author T. A. Barron to recognize inspiring, public-spirited young people from the United States and Canada. To that end, the Barron Prize program annually honors twenty-five young leaders between the ages of 8 and18 who have made a significant positive difference to people and the environment.
Since its inception, the prize program has awarded more than half a million dollars to hundreds of young leaders and has won the support of Girl Scouts of the USA, Jane Goodall’s Roots and Shoots, and Youth Service America.
Barron Prize winners are as diverse as their service projects. Examples of young people honored over the past two decades include Jaclyn, who triumphed over brain cancer and then worked to help other critically ill children; Ryan, who helped provide clean drinking water to more than seventy African villages; Michaella, who organized a rodeo for kids with disabilities; Joying, who cleaned up South Carolina’s beaches; Shawn, who organized his neighborhood to build a community garden; and Barbara, who created a successful motor oil recycling project in rural Texas.
In 2020, the fifteen top winners will each receive $10,000 in support of their service work or education.
As part of its twentieth anniversary celebration, the Barron Prize will host a Young Heroes Summit in October, bringing together past winners to share their experiences and inspire today’s youth. Honoring the spirit of the prize, the summit will commemorate the great work of young people by offering a free public event and series of panel discussions focused on humanitarian work, environmental change, and STEM projects. The two-day summit will take place October 1-2 in Boulder, Colorado, and will be accessible to schools across the country via Livestream.
Applications for the 2020 prizes are due by April 15, with the winners to be announced in September.
To learn more about the Barron Prize and apply online, see the Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes website.
Link to Complete RFP
