Close the Space Scholarships.
Some kids need somewhere new. A place where nobody already decided who they are. A place where they can start fresh, build real friendships, and remember they were never meant to be alone.
Bullying does something specific to a child.
It does not just make them sad.
It can make them believe they are the kind of person who gets left out.
The kind of person who eats alone.
The kind of person who stands outside the circle.
That belief is a lie.
But it can become convincing when a child has lived inside it long enough.
The Close the Space Scholarship exists to interrupt that story.
It gives youth access to camps, leadership programs, and community experiences where the social history of school does not follow them in.
Where nobody knows who sat with whom at lunch.
Where they get to walk in as someone new.
Connection changes people.
Belonging changes people.
And every child deserves the chance to feel what belonging is supposed to feel like.
FOR YOUTH EXPERIENCING ISOLATION
Belonging Access Scholarship
For youth ages 10 to 18 who are experiencing bullying, social exclusion, loneliness, or the quiet harm of being left out.
This scholarship helps cover camps, leadership programs, and community experiences where a child can build real connections, rebuild confidence, and discover who they are outside the social walls that have been closing in around them.
What it may cover
Camp tuition
Leadership programs
Community and confidence building experiences
Program supplies when needed
Who can nominate
Parents
Guardians
Teachers
Counselors
Coaches
Community members
FOR CLOSE THE SPACE HEROES
Hero Leadership Scholarship
For youth who have been recognized as Close the Space Heroes.
These are students who chose kindness, inclusion, forgiveness, or courage when it cost them something.
This scholarship invests in their growth through leadership camps and programs that strengthen their voice, confidence, and future impact.
What it may cover
Leadership camp tuition
Communication and confidence programs
Community building experiences
Youth leadership opportunities
Who can nominate
Peers
Parents
Teachers
Coaches
Community members
How It Works
1. Nominate
A parent, guardian, teacher, counselor, coach, peer, or community member submits a short nomination.
For the Belonging Access Scholarship, tell us why a new environment may help the child.
For the Hero Leadership Scholarship, tell us how the young person chose to close the space.
2. Review
Applications are reviewed by a committee.
We consider need, fit, available funding, and the program being requested.
The goal is simple: get the right child to the right place at the right time.
3. Award
Scholarship decisions are shared directly with the nominating adult or applicant contact.
Award amounts may vary based on program cost and available funds.
4. Pay the Program
Scholarship funds are paid directly to the camp, leadership program, or approved organization.
Funds are not paid directly to individuals or families.
Why a New Environment Matters
Sometimes a child does not need to be told one more time to “just be confident.”
They need a room where nobody has already written their role.
A camp, leadership program, or community experience can give a young person something school may not be giving them right now:
A fresh start.
A shared activity.
A new group.
A chance to be seen differently.
A place to belong.
For a child who has been bullied, one real week of connection can matter.
Not because it fixes everything.
Because it reminds them that the story they were living inside was never the whole story.
Take the Next Step
Apply or Nominate
Know a child who is experiencing bullying and needs somewhere new?
Start here.
Nominate a Hero
Know a young person who chose kindness, forgiveness, or inclusion when it cost them something?
Tell us their story.
Fund a Scholarship
Every scholarship is made possible by people who believe no child should have to earn the right to belong.
Close The Space Foundation, Inc. is an Ohio nonprofit corporation.
Scholarship funds are disbursed directly to approved program providers, not to individuals or families.
Award decisions are made by a volunteer committee.
Applications and nominations are reviewed confidentially.
Belonging should not depend on popularity.
Some kids need a new place to begin.
Some kids are already helping others belong.
Close the Space Scholarships exist for both.