Elyssa’s Mission educates and screens teens on warning signs of suicide to help identify at-risk youth, link them to vital resources and ultimately prevent suicide. The Elyssa’s Mission Scholarship Program takes this a step further. High school juniors and seniors are given an opportunity to share how they’ve put these lifesaving tools to work in their communities.
Scholarship Program
The Elyssa’s Mission Scholarship Program was created to recognize and award high school juniors and seniors who have taken the initiative to apply the core principles of the SOS Signs of Suicide® program—ACT (Acknowledge, Care, Tell)—and make a meaningful difference in the lives of themselves, their peers, their school, and/or their community.
Scholarship Award Eligibility Criteria
All high school juniors and seniors who have participated in the SOS Signs of Suicide® program are eligible to apply. Students may apply based on how they have used the ACT message—Acknowledge, Care, Tell—to help themselves or a friend/peer.
Submission Criteria
Essay Submission
In your own words, describe how you have applied the ACT message to support yourself or a friend/peer. Your essay should provide a specific example of how you have used the ACT message to acknowledge concerns, show you care, or connect yourself or someone else with help.
650 words or less
Creative Submission
Submit a poem, painting, drawing, song, video, or other creative work that demonstrates how you have applied the ACT message to help yourself or a friend/peer. Your submission must be accompanied by a brief written description explaining how you have acknowledged concerns, shown you care, and/or told a trusted adult, and how your creative work reflects that experience.
650 words or less
Scholarship Awards
For the 2026–2027 school year, Elyssa’s Mission will award up to $20,000 in scholarship funding. The Elyssa’s Mission Scholarship Committee carefully reviews all applications using a designated evaluation rubric. The Committee selects the scholarship recipients and determines the amount of each award. The number of scholarships awarded may vary from year to year.
Scholarship awards are designated for tuition, books, and supplies at an accredited community college, technical or vocational school, four-year college, or university.
Applications for the 2026–2027 school year will be available in December 2026 and will close in March 2027. Applications, or any required portion of an application, received after the deadline will not be considered.
Scholarship recipients will be notified by Palma Lacey, Chair of the Elyssa’s Mission Scholarship Committee, in April 2027.
Terms and Conditions for Accepting the Elyssa’s Mission Scholarship Award
Following notification of their award, scholarship recipients will receive an Acceptance Form from Palma Lacey.
To accept and receive an Elyssa’s Mission Scholarship Award, recipients must agree to the following:
- Provide a brief written statement describing what receiving this scholarship means to you. This statement may be featured on the Elyssa’s Mission website.
- Submit a photograph of yourself for inclusion on the Elyssa’s Mission website.
- Acknowledge that your written statement and photograph may be featured in Elyssa’s Mission’s Annual Campaign Letter.
- Scholarship recipients are invited to share their submission as part of Elyssa’s Mission’s Annual Benefit, held each summer. The submission may be presented in video format, with arrangements made at a time and location convenient for you, or it may be presented live in person.
- Agree to these Terms and Conditions before submitting your scholarship application.
Thank You for Applying
Thank you for your interest in the Elyssa’s Mission Scholarship Program. We are honored to support students as they pursue their educational goals and look forward to learning more about you through your application.
If you have questions about the scholarship program or application process, please contact:
Palma Lacey
Chair, Elyssa’s Mission Scholarship Committee
[email protected]