USA Scholarships
Be A Friend Project Scholarship 2027 - $500 Script
The Be A Friend Project Scholarship is a $500 creative writing award from the Be A Friend Project (BAFP) for US high school students who script a realistic lunchtime conversation about bullying. Each year BAFP publishes one writing prompt focused on bystanders becoming upstanders. The most recent public cycle opened 1 June 2025 and closed 31 August 2025 at 11:59pm, with the winner announced 1 October 2025 to kick off National Bullying Prevention Month. Applicants must follow at least one official BAFP social media handle. Scripts are two to four pages in 12-point Times New Roman with one-inch margins. Judges score creativity, emotional realism, and knowledge of bullying consequences. AI-generated scripts receive a zero for creativity. The winning script is performed by youth actors. Expect the next intake to reopen in summer 2027 on the same beafriendproject.org/scholarship page unless BAFP posts new dates.
What is the Be A Friend Project Scholarship?
The Be A Friend Project Scholarship turns a bullying-prevention charity into a creative writing contest. Instead of a GPA contest or a long volunteer log, BAFP asks you to stage a conversation: friends at lunch, a missing bully, and a classmate who is still getting hurt when the room looks away. Your job is to write that scene as a two- to four-page script where ordinary bystanders argue their way toward action.
The money is modest at $500, but the visibility is not. BAFP announces one winner every 1 October to open National Bullying Prevention Month, then puts the winning script in front of youth actors. That performance piece is why the prompt cares about dialogue and emotional realism more than essay polish. Judges score creativity, realism, and whether you understand what bullying does to people, not whether you memorized a definition from a pamphlet.
Rules worth treating as hard gates: you must be in high school (homeschooled counts), you must follow at least one official BAFP social account, and you must write the script yourself. BAFP is explicit that AI-generated entries get a zero on creativity because they all sound the same. Formatting matters too: 12-point Times New Roman, one-inch margins, two to four pages. Teen Kindness Board and Kindness Club members are welcome; relatives of BAFP staff or board leadership are not.
The published 2025 cycle ran 1 June through 31 August 2025. If you are planning ahead, expect BAFP to reopen the portal on a similar summer schedule for 2027, but always confirm on beafriendproject.org/scholarship before you assume dates. When the window is closed, the site removes upload buttons entirely. For other youth-facing awards with a service angle, see the Mental Health America Young Leaders Council, the Education Matters Scholarship, and the Horatio Alger Scholarship.
Eligibility
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✓Enrolled US high school student (including homeschool)All high school students may apply, including homeschoolers. Homeschooled applicants enter "Homeschooled" in the school fields on the form when those boxes appear in the portal.
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✓Follow at least one official BAFP social accountApplicants must follow at least one Be A Friend Project social media handle listed on the scholarship page. Screenshot or account proof may be requested depending on the year's form.
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✓Original script responding to the posted promptYou write a two- to four-page script using the current lunchtime bystander prompt. Submissions must use 12-point Times New Roman font and one-inch margins unless BAFP updates formatting rules.
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✓No AI-generated scriptsBAFP states that scripts relying on AI receive a zero for creativity. Judges want your voice, ideas, and heart, not templated language.
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✓Exclude BAFP staff and board family membersTeen Kindness Board and Kindness Club members are encouraged to apply, but family of BAFP staff, board directors, and officers cannot enter.
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✓Submit during the open window on beafriendproject.orgApplications are accepted only while the upload buttons are live on beafriendproject.org/scholarship. When the window closes, the site removes submit controls until the next cycle.
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✓Agree to blind reviewThe panel reads scripts without author names or identifying details, script only, before selecting one winner.
Benefits
- Cash scholarship $500 to one winner
- Public performance Winning script performed by youth actors
- National Bullying Prevention Month feature Winner announced 1 October
- Application fee None listed on official page
- College tuition coverage Not a full tuition award
- Multiple winners One script selected per cycle
- AI-assisted scripts Creativity score zero if detected
Document checklist
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✓Two- to four-page script (Times New Roman, 1-inch margins)Creative writing responding to the posted lunchtime bystander prompt. Formatting rules are strict to keep entries comparable.
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✓Online scholarship submission through BAFPUpload through beafriendproject.org/scholarship when the cycle is open. Contact [email protected] or [email protected] if the portal fails.
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✓School information (or Homeschooled)Standard school fields on the application. Homeschooled students type "Homeschooled" in each school box as instructed on the page.
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✓Proof of following BAFP social mediaFollow at least one listed BAFP handle before you apply. Keep your username accurate on the form in case staff verify eligibility.
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✓Parent or guardian contact if you are under 18Use contact details an adult checks if you are a minor, especially around the 1 October winner announcement.
How to apply
Deadline and timeline
FAQ
What is the Be A Friend Project Scholarship?
It is a $500 scholarship from the Be A Friend Project that asks US high school students to write a short script about bystanders choosing to stand up to bullying. One winner is picked each cycle, announced 1 October, and the winning script is performed by youth actors.
How much is the Be A Friend Project Scholarship worth?
One winner receives $500. The official scholarship page states one $500 winner per cycle tied to National Bullying Prevention Month.
Who can apply for the Be A Friend Project Scholarship?
All US high school students may apply, including homeschoolers. Applicants must follow at least one BAFP social media account. Family of BAFP staff and board directors or officers cannot apply, though Teen Kindness Board and Kindness Club members are encouraged to enter.
When is the Be A Friend Project Scholarship deadline?
The last published cycle closed 31 August 2025 at 11:59pm after opening 1 June 2025. BAFP removes upload buttons when the window ends. Watch beafriendproject.org/scholarship for the next summer dates; this guide expects a similar August 2027 deadline until BAFP posts otherwise.
Can I use ChatGPT for the Be A Friend Project script?
BAFP discourages AI-generated scripts and assigns a zero creativity score when AI reliance shows. Judges want original voice and emotional depth, not identical-sounding paragraphs.
What formatting does the Be A Friend Project Scholarship require?
Scripts should be two to four pages, 12-point Times New Roman, one-inch margins, unless the site updates rules for a new cycle. Stick to those settings so reviewers can compare entries fairly.
How is the Be A Friend Project Scholarship winner chosen?
A panel of BAFP board directors and the executive director scores scripts on creativity, realism and emotional depth, and knowledge of bullying consequences. They read blind copies without author names before picking one winner.
Where do I apply for the Be A Friend Project Scholarship?
Apply at beafriendproject.org/scholarship when submissions are open. Outside the window the site shows a closed message and removes upload buttons. Questions go to [email protected] or 845-809-5275.
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