For Educators
Everything you need to nominate, support, and celebrate your Carson Scholars, and potentially bring a Ben Carson Reading Room to your school.
We offer scholarship opportunities to support and celebrate high-achieving, service-minded students in grades 4–11.
Scholarship Program
Open to students in grades 4-11 at accredited schools within the US who are nominated by an educator to apply for a $1,000 college scholarship.
- Maintain a minimum GPA of 3.75 (on a 4.0 scale)
- Actively participate in acts of service
- Not already be a recipient of the scholarship
Why nominate a student
Nominating a student for our scholarship program creates a lasting impact by recognizing their achievements, instilling confidence, and inspiring them to continue their academic and service journeys.
Repeated Recognition for Scholars
A secondary component of our scholarship program which honors students who have already received the Carson Scholarship and continue to exemplify academic excellence and dedication to service.
- Do not need to be nominated by an educator to apply.
- No financial award associated with this program.
- Possible to have multiple recognized Carson Scholars at your school each year!
- Having students participate in the recognition program does not take away your ability to nominate a new student for the current scholarship cycle.
“When I first applied, I was in fifth grade at a small school with only about 15 students in my class. We truly lived up to our county motto: Small but Mighty. Being chosen by my teachers to represent our school already felt like an incredible honor, so when I learned I had actually received the scholarship, I was ecstatic.
That moment became a turning point in my academic journey. It sparked a determination that stayed with me throughout middle school and high school, motivating me to work hard, pursue excellence, and continue striving toward my goals.”
– Kamryn N.
8-time Carson Scholar
Ben Carson Reading Rooms provide a nurturing literacy environment in your school.
A Ben Carson Reading Room is a dedicated space designed to foster a love of reading and support literacy development. These specially designed environments create peaceful, inviting spaces where students can explore books, develop reading skills, and cultivate a lifelong passion for learning.
- Promote a love of reading.
- Designed as peaceful, inviting spaces.
- Support literacy initiatives across grade levels.
Interested in a Ben Carson Reading Room?
Create a Reading Culture
Reading rooms support school-wide literacy goals by providing a dedicated space that emphasizes the importance of reading and creates an environment where students can develop strong literacy skills and a genuine love for books.
Flexible Use
These versatile spaces accommodate small groups, quiet reading sessions, and special events, making them ideal for various educational activities and literacy programs throughout the school year.
Funding & Support
We offer partnership opportunities and funding support to help schools establish Carson Reading Rooms, providing resources and guidance throughout the implementation process.
How do I bring this to my school?
Schools interested in being considered for a Ben Carson Reading Room must be accredited, commit to maintaining the reading room for a minimum of five years, and have both the space and personnel to plan, design, and implement the literacy initiative. Applications are accepted year-round and will be kept on file. If your school meets these criteria and would like to be considered for a reading room, please have a member of the school’s leadership team or designated school official complete the reading room application.
Educators play a key role in the Carson Scholars Program by nominating Carson Scholar candidates.
Review eligibility
Confirm student’s grade level, current year GPA and service activities meet the requirements. Any activity that benefits others, inside or outside of school, may be considered a service activity.
Choose your nominee
Each school may nominate one student per year for the scholarship. Schools that serve multiple grade categories (ex: a K-12 school) can nominate one student per category. How you determine your nominee is up to your discretion! Examples for selecting may include a school-wide essay contest or selection committee.
Submit the Nomination Form
Nomination forms are sent via email to all contacts in our database in mid-October. Once you’ve selected your student, complete and submit the nomination form before the deadline.
Key Nomination Guidelines
How you determine your nominee and who submits the nomination is up to you!
- Only one educator from the school should submit the nomination form.
- Deadlines can be found below. All deadlines are final.
- One student per school may be nominated, unless otherwise told by the CSF.
New to the program?
Complete the Program Information Request Form to be added to our distribution list.
Tools and materials to help you inform students, coordinate nominations, and communicate with families.
Educator Toolkit
- Scholarship flyer
- Understanding Community Service
- GPA calculation guide
- FAQs
Student & Family Materials
- Scholarship flyer for students/families
- Understanding Community Service
- GPA calculation guide
- FAQs
2027 Essay Questions
Pronunciation Guide
2027 Scholarship Flyer
2027 Scholarship Tool Kit – Educators
2027 Scholarship Tool Kit – Student Families
GPA Calculation Rules & Policies
Community Service Helpful Information
Photo Guidlines
- Teachers help us grow in many ways. Think about a teacher, coach, family member, or mentor who taught you something important. Describe what you learned and explain how you could use that lesson to help another person. How can sharing what you’ve learned make your community stronger?
- Imagine you’ve been asked to give a “Book Talk” to your classmates to encourage them to read a book that you really love. In essay format, write your speech. Be sure to include the title of the book, why you would recommend the book and what lesson(s) could be learned from the story.
- People often think about leaving a legacy later in life, but our actions today shape how others remember us. What kind of legacy do you want to begin building now? Explain how education, service, and paying it forward can help you leave a positive impact on your school and community.
- Leadership is not only about being in charge—it’s also about helping others succeed. Describe a time when you demonstrated leadership by serving someone else. What qualities do you believe make an effective leader?
- Many works of art, music, literature, scientific discoveries, and innovations can shape the way we view ourselves and the world around us. Write an essay about one such work or idea that had a meaningful impact on your thinking and discuss how it influenced your outlook.
- “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take” – Wayne Gretzky
Tell a story about a time you took a shot at something. In your story, include how this experience impacted your life (positively or negatively) and share what came out of the experience.
