New York Life Award
About This Scholarship
Supported by the New York Life Foundation, the New York Life Award offers $2,500 scholarships/travel stipends to ten teens whose works explore death, personal grief, memory, and continuing connection after someone important has died.
Someone I care about died, and it can be hard to talk about my grief. Is there a memory, object, song, place, ritual, or item that helps me stay connected to them—my “golden sweater”—and how can I share that story through art or writing?
Grief is the feeling and reaction that can follow the death of someone important to you. It can affect how you think, feel, remember, relate to others, and understand yourself. Grief is universal, but it is also deeply personal. No two people experience it in exactly the same way.
Sometimes, after someone dies, a memory, object, song, place, ritual, or small everyday detail can help us feel connected to them. In New York Life Foundation’s The Golden Sweater, a young boy named Kai finds comfort in his father’s sweater after his father dies. The sweater becomes more than an object—it becomes a reminder of love, memory, and connection.
You may have your own “golden sweater”: something that reminds you of the person who died or helps you carry their memory forward. Sharing that story through art or writing can be meaningful for you and for others. Your creative work may help another teen who is grieving feel less alone.
How do I apply?
Enter your work into any category in the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. At the end of your application, opt in to the New York Life Award. You will be prompted to include a personal statement on how your work explores your personal experience with grief and bereavement.
Deadlines vary by region and can be as early as December 1. Go to My Region to find your deadlines.
What should I write about in my personal statement?
Your personal statement should describe your experience with grief and how your work relates to that experience. The statement should be 50 words or more.
Below are prompts that may help you craft your personal statement:
- What is your “golden sweater”—an object, song, place, memory, ritual, phrase, or everyday detail that helps you feel connected to the person who died?
- Why is this your golden sweater? What does it remind you of, and what memories, feelings, or stories does it bring back?
- How does your golden sweater represent the person who died—who they were, what they loved, what they taught you, or how they made you feel?
- When you see, hear, hold, visit, or think about your golden sweater, what do you remember most about the person?
- How did your golden sweater inspire the art or writing you created?
- How does your work show the connection between grief, love, memory, and the bond you continue to have with the person who died?
- What do you hope another young person who has experienced a death might feel, understand, or recognize when they see or read your work?
Getting Started on Your Art or Writing Work
Our classroom resources on grief and death can help you explore this theme. You might begin by thinking about a memory, object, song, place, or ritual that reminds you of someone who died. You can also reflect on how grief has changed over time, how you stay connected to the person, or what you wish others understood about your experience.
About Our Partner
New York Life Foundation invests in and builds programs that benefit young people and their families as they navigate life’s challenges, particularly in the areas of coaching and bereavement support. We also foster a culture of volunteerism and community involvement for New York Life’s employees and financial advisors, providing critical support in the communities we serve.
