Community Programs · Civil Rights Journey
Bending the Arc™ is an immersive six-month program that redefines how young people engage with Civil Rights history and social justice. The experience includes an inspiring trip to Alabama’s key Civil Rights sites and culminates in student-led projects that bring historical lessons into contemporary action.
A Journey Through Civil Rights History
High school students from across Sarasota and Manatee Counties might think they are signing up for a history program. What they will discover is something far more powerful: their own capacity to carry forward a legacy of courage and change.
Over six months, you’ll join high school students from across Sarasota and Manatee Counties to dive deep into Civil Rights history through:
Community Conversations
Meet authors, activists, and thought leaders in our Building Bridges Program series
Immersive Learning
Explore the stories, struggles, and triumphs that shaped our nation.
Alabama Journey
Journey through Birmingham, Selma, and Montgomery, visiting places where history was made.
Community Conversations
Build friendships with like-minded students and discover your voice as a leader.
Impact
The Spring Break trip to Alabama brings textbook learning to life as students stood on the Edmund Pettus Bridge, visit the 16th Street Baptist Church, and walk the same roads where activists organized and marched.
What makes this program distinctive isn’t just the powerful locations the young leaders visit but the connections they will forge with history, with each other, across different schools and backgrounds, and with their own potential to create change. They will discover that learning about courage and sacrifice becomes deeply personal when experienced in the places where ordinary people made history.
Bending the Arc™ is in partnership with Boxser Diversity Initiative.
Alabama: Where History Lives
Montgomery
Visit the site where Rosa Parks refused to give up her bus seat, see the church where Dr. King organized the resistance, and experience the National Memorial for Peace and Justice—a powerful site that honors victims of racial terror.
Selma
Walk across the Edmund Pettus Bridge, where in 1965 John Lewis and other peaceful protesters were beaten while marching for voting rights—footage that shocked the world and changed history.
Birmingham
Stand inside the 16th Street Baptist Church, site of a tragic bombing that galvanized the movement, visit Kelly Ingram Park where brave protesters faced violent opposition, and learn how Birmingham’s struggles helped change the entire country.
Tuskegee
Tour Tuskegee University, where Booker T. Washington created opportunities for Black students when few existed elsewhere, and learn about the Tuskegee Airmen who overcame segregation to become decorated WWII fighter pilots.
Benefits, Qualifications, & Requirements
$500 Scholar Award
Complete the program and earn $500—a reward for your growth as a leader and fuel for your future goals.
Personal Transformation
Gain new perspectives, discover your voice, and understand your power to create change in your community
College Advantage
Stand out with a unique experience that demonstrates your commitment to social justice and strengthens your applications
Travel Adventure
Enjoy an all-expenses-paid Spring Break trip to Alabama, and walk in the places where history was made.
New Friendships
Expand your network and build friendships with like-minded peers.
Qualifications
Requirements
Ready to Bend the Arc?
We’re seeking passionate students ready to dive deep into Civil Rights history, build meaningful connections, and discover their own power to create change.
If you’re prepared for a journey that will challenge and inspire you, we want to hear from you.
FAQs
Applications for the 2026-27 program are open until September 20, 2026. Click here to apply.
We’ll select up to 25 students.
The selection process is competitive. We’re looking for students who demonstrate genuine interest in the program’s mission and a commitment to active participation.
Our selection committee will review your application and recommendation letter, focusing on the quality and thoughtfulness of your responses.
If you’re selected for the next round, you’ll be invited for a brief Zoom interview.
Final decisions are made following the interview process.
No! Thanks to generous funding from Charles and Margery Barancik Foundation and other donors, all expenses—activities, events, materials, meals, and your Alabama trip—are completely free.
Full participation!
This means attending scheduled meetings, events, and the Alabama trip, as well as actively engaging in discussions and activities.
The program begins in October and runs through April each year.
You’ll meet 2-4 times per month, plus participate in the week-long Alabama trip during Spring Break.
We will travel as a group by charter bus to explore Montgomery, Selma, Tuskegee, and Birmingham, visiting more than 20 historic Civil Rights sites and museums.
The week creates lasting friendships and powerful learning experiences as you walk where history was made.
No prior experience is required!
We welcome students from all backgrounds who are eager to learn and engage with history in a meaningful way.
Important Dates
Aug. 10, 2026
Applications Open
Sept. 20, 2026
Applications Due
Sept. 25, 2026
Students Notified
Oct. 4, 2026
Program Begins
Students Like You Paved the Way
Our first cohort of 20 students from 9 different schools found common ground in their shared journey through history. They built bridges across communities and discovered how past struggles connect to today’s ongoing work toward justice.
