Valorena Publishing & Cocoa Kids Collection International Scholarship
Picture books that feature children of color, tell stories of empowerment, and support literacy development are sorely needed in communities of color.
Books are the backbone of society, imparting valuable lessons starting at a young age. For children, books are often some of their first encounters with the world, which can be formative experiences impacting how they view society. The importance of diverse voices and characters in books cannot be overstated.
This scholarship is designed to empower BIPOC and multicultural women to live authentically and share their unique stories by supporting their studies in the creation of children's picture books.
Dr. Valerie Williams-Sanchez, the founder of Valorena Publishing and Cocoa Kids Collection®, envisions this scholarship to assist BIPOC and multicultural women pursuing studies relevant to the development of children's picture books.
Any female BIPOC/multicultural high school, undergraduate, or graduate student who has a creative portfolio and has published projects or is pursuing a course of study related to literacy, literature, poetry, writing, publishing, editing or illustration may apply for this scholarship.
To apply, tell us about yourself and answer one or more of the questions below.
Please tell us about yourself and:
1. How has literacy benefited you and your life? 2. How have picture books impacted your life?
And/or, 3. What do you hope to achieve with your endeavors and how will this award help?
Winners and Finalists
April 2024
Winning Application
Explore All Kinds of Scholarships for All Kinds of Students
FAQ
The application deadline is Mar 24, 2025. Winners will be announced on Apr 24, 2025.
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 24, 2025. 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 or future 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.