Student Contests & Scholarships
Missouri NEA, NEA, and our partners look out for our members. We offer a number of grants to help professional members further their careers, participate in global studies, and fund their BIG ideas for student-centered learning projects. Scan the list below to see which contests, scholarships, and grants may benefit you and your students.
Questions? Contact MNEA Professional Practice Director Samantha Hayes at samantha.hayes@mnea.org or (573) 644-9625.
Public School K-12 Student Essay and Visual Art contest 2025 Contest Materials (pdf) coming soon The Missouri NEA Human Rights Committee is sponsoring the 2025 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Essay and Visual Art Contest for K-12 public school students. The theme for the 2025 contest is "Youth for Change: Continuing the Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr." This theme encourages young people to...
Former Missouri NEA Executive Director Peggy Cochran and late husband Paul were both teachers. Both come from families of teachers. Two of their children are teachers in the St. Louis area. They believe that teaching is the most rewarding career anyone can choose. To encourage people to become teachers, they created a $500 scholarship in support of one of these individuals each year. Applicants...
$1,000 for a member of Aspiring Educators. Martha Karlovetz, past President of MNEA and MNEA-Retired, has been an Association activist at the local, state, and national levels since Missouri NEA was established in 1973. Her daughter, Linda Favero, was also a very active member-leader and served as a building representative and an MNEA-RA delegate. Linda's seven-year career as an elementary teacher...
The Gilbert Balderrama Minority Scholarship was created in memory of one of Missouri NEA's own. For more than 20 years, Gilbert Balderrama served MNEA and its members as a UniServ director. Gilbert received numerous degrees and certifications and strongly believed in furthering one's knowledge through education. ELIGIBILITY: This scholarship is awarded to one high school senior of color...
Application Due Date: April 15 Amount: $3,500 Eligibility: Member of Aspiring Educators The NEA-Retired Jack Kinnaman Scholarship Fund was established in honor of Jack Kinnaman, the then-serving NEA-Retired Vice President. His surviving family members wished to establish a scholarship program in his memory; thus, beginning a much-needed assistance activity for worthy aspiring educators. In the...