Leading Compassionately:
Give Your Choice a Chance for Change.
Apply for Food Empowerment Project’s 2025 Scholarship Contest!
Be a part of Food Empowerment Project’s (F.E.P.’s) third annual writing and illustration scholarship contest. F.E.P. was established to help liberate, and empower human and non-human animals facing injustice and to spread the importance of eating our ethics. This contest is open to youth to expand on this year’s theme: “A Journey to Justice: Amplifying Every Voice”.
Youth hold a special position of power in the world. Many directly face the repercussions of unjust systems created by individuals who are supposed to safeguard their future. For this reason, all youth deserve an outlet to express their passion, pain, and yearning for just change. Applying for the writing or illustration scholarship is an opportunity to do just that!
The topics and detailed instructions for the contest are posted below with the contest opening March 6th, 2025 and ending July 25th, 2025, at 11:59 PM, U.S. Pacific Time. Winners are announced in the Summer!
Overview
As youth, we see many things that are unfair in the world that we want to change. Whether it is bettering animal treatment, making sure that everyone has access to fresh fruits and vegetables, or protecting our water, trees, and air, there is so much we can do to make the world a better place.
Leadership is a key to righting wrongs and ensuring that all human and non-human animals thrive in a safe place. We’ve probably all been a part of a club, held a leadership position in a community group, or taken the lead on a family project. That’s leadership, and it’s powerful. This writing and illustration contest is your chance to show how leading with compassion can help make choices that really change things!
To brainstorm ideas, check out our Youth Advocacy Team Member, Kennedy’s, blog on the importance of youth leadership and perseverance. We also encourage you to learn about the abuses animals experience on animal farms, ways that communities are affected by environmental pollution and damage from farms and slaughterhouses, the impacts of food apartheid in marginalized areas, farm worker injustice, and the unethical practices of the chocolate industry. Information on this can be found on the F.E.P. website, foodispower.org.
F.E.P. Scholarship Contest Eligibility
- Contestants must be 11 years old to 24 years old at the time of submission. You do not have to be a student to participate.
- Contestants must be residing in the U.S. or U.S. territories.
- Contest writing submission must be in Spanish or English.
- Contest submission must be original and unpublished work.
Not following eligibility rules may result in disqualification from the contest.
Scholarship Amounts
Finalists will receive a scholarship and the chance to have their outstanding work featured across all F.E.P. platforms. And equally important, the opportunity to inspire a generation of leaders and activists!
Writing Contest
1st Place Entries: $500
2nd Place Entries: $300
3rd Place Entries: $150
Illustration Contest
1st Place Entries: $500 2nd Place Entries: $300 3rd Place Entries: $150
Submission Instructions and Rules
Writing and illustration pieces must be submitted in a PDF or file format accepted by Google Forms.
More information on guidelines can be found on the writing and illustration information page, here.
Previous F.E.P. Scholarship Contest
View F.E.P. ‘s previous Scholarship Contest prompts and award-winners here!
Spread the Word
Help F.E.P. share the news about the 2024 Youth Scholarship Contest by using this toolkit! Inside the toolkit are flyers, social media graphics, and hashtags to spread the word! You can post the fliers in your community, on campus, and use the graphics to post on your personal or organization account.
News Releases
Frequently Asked Questions
You do not have to be a vegan to participate in this scholarship contest. F.E.P. encourages all youth to express the importance of justice for all beings.
Yes, you still qualify for the scholarship contest!
Yes, you are allowed to re-enter the scholarship contest. However, the writing or illustration piece submitted from past contests can not be used. Submissions must stay original.
To learn about the mission beliefs of F.E.P., please visit our missions and values page. Doing so can help you better understand the beliefs of the organization.
By submitting a scholarship application, the participant agrees to transfer all art and written work rights to the organization.
Reminder: Not following submission guidelines may result in disqualification from the contest.
Deadline for Submission: July 31st, 2026, at 11:59 PM, U.S. Pacific Standard Time
Questions? Contact Kennedy at kennedy@foodispower.org!
Questions? Contact Us or Kennedy at kennedy@foodispower.org!