Princeton Prize applications due Jan. 31

Applications are due Wednesday, Jan. 31, for the Princeton Prize in Race Relations, an awards program for high school students who are doing exceptional work in their schools or communities to advance the cause of race relations.

The program has expanded this year to 19 locations, including the greater metropolitan areas of Baltimore, Cincinnati, Dallas, Memphis, Nashville and Seattle, as well as in three areas of New Jersey: Princeton; the northwestern part of the state; and Essex and Hudson counties. These locations are in addition to last year’s metropolitan areas of Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, Philadelphia, San Francisco, St. Louis and Washington, D.C. The program, created by alumni volunteers and sponsored by the University’s Alumni Association, was launched in 2003 with two locations.

“The success of the first three years of the Princeton Prize has been most gratifying,” said Henry Von Kohorn, chair of the Princeton Prize Committee and a 1966 graduate of the University. “This year’s expansion to a total of 19 localities puts us well on the way to achieving our ultimate objective — a prize program to which any high school age student in the country can apply. While the Princeton Prize program is principally a volunteer, alumni-driven effort, we could not have achieved success without the full-fledged support of Princeton University.”

The objective of the program is not only to recognize student initiative with cash prizes, which will be awarded this spring, but also to support and encourage young people who are working hard to foster respect and understanding among people of different backgrounds.

The awards program was developed and is administered by the Princeton Prize Committee, which consists of University alumni, administrators and students. The first-place honor for each location’s winner is $1,000. In addition, award certificates will be given to projects that are worthy of honorable mention.

Applications, which must be postmarked by Jan. 31, are available online. Students enrolled in grades 9 through 12 are eligible to participate. Applicants must have been engaged in their volunteer project in the past year.