The Schomburg Center's Junior Scholars Program
The Schomburg Center's Junior Scholars Program is a tuition-free, academic-year Saturday program immersing students in African-American history, culture, and creative arts through research, workshops, and archival exploration.
Funder: New York Public Library
Due Dates: June 15, 2026 (Priority deadline) | June 29, 2026 (Final deadline)
Funding Amounts: Tuition-free academic-year program; no stipend or fee required.
Summary: An immersive, tuition-free Saturday program for middle and high school students centered on African-American history, culture, and creative arts.
Description
The Schomburg Center's Junior Scholars Program is a prestigious, tuition-free academic-year initiative held every Saturday from October to May for students in grades 6–12 (ages 12–18). Hosted by the New York Public Library’s Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, the program fosters historical literacy, cultural awareness, and creative expression through college-style lectures, group discussions, project-based learning, and engagement with the Center’s world-renowned archives. Participants develop original research, writing, and multimedia projects inspired by Black history and culture, culminating in an annual Youth Summit. The curriculum is dynamic and evolves each year to reflect current exhibitions, collections, and pressing issues in Africana studies.
