Ohio University

Vision and Purpose

The King-Chavez-Parks Award Program provides valuable educational opportunities designed to enrich intellectual experiences of talented students from disproportionately represented populations. The program promotes personal, social, cultural, and academic excellence as well as professional development. This vision is achieved through creative programs and faculty-mentored research, scholarship, creativity, and character education.

Objectives

·       Provide support services that lead to students' academic success.

·       Create opportunities for leadership and student engagement.

·       Assist students with career exploration.

·       Provide opportunities for intercultural dialogue and multicultural education.

·       Encourage participation in campus and community service organizations.

Based on academic merit and personal achievement, the King-Chavez-Parks Award is available to students from disproportionately represented groups. The award was created in honor of these outstanding civil rights leaders.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968) 

With a deep commitment to social justice for all, this powerful leader improved the human condition for many in the United States. Through nonviolence, he became one of the most important figures of the civil rights movement.

Cesar E. Chavez (1927-1993)

Founder and leader of the first successful farm workers' union, this Mexican-American fought for the rights of laborers, and his legacy lives on in the work of the United Farm Workers.

Rosa Parks (1913-2005)

On December 1, 1955, in a simple act of dignity and self-respect, Rosa Parks refused to relinquish her seat on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama. This courageous act challenged the status quo and helped spark a national movement to improve the lives of African-Americans.

Eligibility

To be eligible for the King-Chavez-Parks Award, students must be admitted to Ohio University and have demonstrated academic excellence and personal achievement in high school. Those who qualify will be notified by the Office of Student Financial Aid and Scholarships and the Office for Multicultural Student Access and Retention.