Sport has the power to change the world and unite people like nothing else. This has never been more evident than in recent years with the volume of youth movements occurring around the country where young leaders are working within their local communities to tackle pressing issues and provide sustainable solutions, all through the power of sport.  

As part of the Sports Humanitarian Awards and the ESPYS, ESPN’s Billie Jean King Youth Leadership Award celebrates the legendary sports icon's commitment to leadership and service by honoring high school and college-aged students who, like Billie Jean King, use the power of sports to improve their communities. The Award — which was created in 2019 — will honor young people from across the United States who are making a difference in their communities. This year, we have expanded the pool of honorees to 3 national honorees, and 20 regional honorees, increasing the opportunities for young people to be recognized.

The 3 national honorees will be honored at the ESPYS in Los Angeles, Calif. and awarded a $10,000 charitable grant while the 20 regional honorees will receive a $2,500 grant. These grants can be directed to the nonprofit honorees are associated with, or if eligible, can be awarded as a college academic scholarship.


Successful Applicants Will

• Demonstrate how they use the power of sport as a catalyst for change within their local school or community. This means they are intentionally using sport to create positive change in order to improve their community or school. For additional information about the Billie Jean King Youth Leadership Award, as well as a recap of last year's honorees, please click here.
• Show how they made a positive impact on their community. This cannot be just participating in an existing program owned by a nonprofit. It must go above and beyond with their contribution and work existing outside of participation.
• Be passionate and committed to empowering the community in which they live.
• Embody confidence and enthusiasm as a leader and have strong moral character.
• Personify exemplary leadership qualities on and off the field of play.

Honorees Will

• Be honored during the ESPYS, with the 3 national honorees joining the incredible winners and honorees of other prestigious awards, including the Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award.
• Receive either a one-time college academic scholarship or direct a grant to an eligible nonprofit aligned with their work.
• Participate in experiential learning and development programs over the next year to receive mentoring and leadership coaching, while engaging with senior leaders in the sport industry and attending sport-for-development workshops.

Eligibility Criteria
    In order to apply you MUST meet the following criteria:

• Be a U.S. Citizen, U.S. national or permanent resident.
• Be under 25 years of age as of July 31, 2024.
• Must have a registered and verifiable 501c3 nonprofit organization associated with their work.
• Students must have a demonstrated financial need as verified by their college or university, if being considered for a scholarship.
• Students must have a minimum cumulative 2.5 GPA on a 4.0 scale, if being considered for a scholarship.
• For academic scholarships, applicant must be a rising High School Senior or be enrolled in an accredited college or university.
• For a donation to an eligible nonprofit, applicant can be a High School Freshman, Sophomore, Junior or Senior, or be enrolled in an accredited college or university.
• 3 selected national honorees must be able to attend the Sports Humanitarian Awards and the ESPYS in July.

Funding Guidelines 

• For national honorees, a one-time academic scholarship awarded in the amount of $10,000 to an accredited college or university where this individual has been accepted and plans to attend or is currently enrolled, or a donation of $10,000 to the nonprofit charity aligned with the nomination, as long as it meets The Walt Disney Company's charitable giving guidelines and award program eligibility criteria. 
• For regional honorees, a one-time academic scholarship awarded in the amount of $2,500 to an accredited college or university where this individual has been accepted and plans to attend or is currently enrolled, or a donation of $2,500 to the nonprofit charity aligned with the nomination, as long as it meets The Walt Disney Company's charitable giving guidelines and award program eligibility criteria. 
• Scholarships are applicable for one-year only and are non-renewable. 
• Funds cannot be granted to an individual but rather the accredited college or university where the individual has been accepted and plans to attend or is currently enrolled or the nonprofit charity of their choice.

Application Guidelines

• Applications can be completed and submitted by nonprofits on behalf of a potential honoree, or by the honoree themselves
• Any program(s) put forward in the application must be delivered in the U.S. and the affiliated charity must be a U.S. based charity registered with the IRS.
• Images submitted must be high resolution and front-facing photos with no other people in them.

Need Help

• There will be two virtual webinars held throughout the application period to provide opportunities for any questions to be addressed. Webinars will be taking place on: 

1. Saturday, April 13 at 12 p.m. EDT: Click here to register.

2. Saturday, April 13 at 12 p.m. PDT: Click here to register

3. Monday, April 22 at 7 p.m. EDT: Click here to register. 

• If you have any questions about the Billie Jean King Youth Leadership Award, please email aparna.reddy@beyondsport.org
• If you have technical questions or need support on this site, contact support@submittable.com or access the Help Center at https://submittable.help.
  
  Applications are due by Friday, May 3 at 11:59 p.m. ET

Guidelines

• All award submissions are due by Friday, April 12 at 11:59 p.m. ET.
• All nominations should include metrics, including goals, measurements and impact. Keep in mind that the quantity of programs is less important than the quality of the program with a measured impact.
• In recognition of the honorees, ESPN will make grants on behalf of their award-winning efforts.

To see past honorees of the Sports Humanitarian Awards, visit the ESPN Corporate Citizenship site.

If you have any questions, please email Caitlyn.M.Cohn@espn.com. If you have technical questions or need support on this site, contact support@submittable.com or access the Help Center at https://submittable.help.
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