Bending the Arc Civil Rights program adds $500 award, extends deadline

SARASOTA, Fla. — Sept. 22, 2025 — The Boxser Diversity Initiative (BDI) announced that each student selected for its Bending the Arc program will receive a $500 Scholar Award upon completion. The organization also extended the application deadline to Sunday, Oct. 5, 2025.

The award, funded by generous donors, is designed to recognize students’ commitment to the six-month program and support their future goals.

“This program is about empowering students to see themselves as leaders who can shape the future,” co-founder and Board Chair Dan Boxser said. “By providing this scholarship, we hope to invest directly in their journey forward.”

Bending the Arc invites high school sophomores, juniors and seniors in Sarasota and Manatee counties to explore Civil Rights history through immersive learning. 

Highlights include

• Community conversations with authors, activists and thought leaders;

• An all-expenses-paid spring break trip to Alabama, visiting historic sites in Birmingham, Montgomery, Selma and Tuskegee; and

• Opportunities to build leadership skills and connections with peers.

The program is free for all participants, with support from Charles and Margery Barancik Foundation.

Applications are open to students in grades 10 through 12 who are interested in history, social justice and community leadership.

More information is available at BoxserDiversityInitiative.org/Apply.