Lucille Bridges Award - Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day

Honoring the Legacy of Mrs. Lucille Bridges by Uplifting Young Changemakers

Named for Ruby Bridges’ courageous mother, the Lucille Bridges Award celebrates students who:

Tell the Truth: Confront difficult histories rather than conceal them.
Make a Difference: Take initiatives to improve their schools, neighborhoods, and the world.
Engage in Activism: Champion social justice through sustained, positive action.

Each year, the Ruby Bridges Foundation awards one outstanding student with a $5,000 award to support their next steps as a leader and advocate.

Brave, progressive, a champion for change. She helped alter the course of so many lives by setting me out on my path as a six year old little girl.
Ruby Bridges

Inaugural Year Award Recipients

Madeline Popielak – $5,000

When Madeline Popielak was a 5th grader at Martin Elementary, while reading during Black History Month, she asked her teacher if there was a day honoring Ruby Bridges. When her teacher, Mrs. Carlino, replied no, Maddie's activism began. Alongside her classmates, they began to collect signatures and attend multiple board meetings to get the holiday known. With her determination together with several 5th grade classes that followed, November 14, Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day, was born. This past year, over 700,000 kids across the country participated in this Day of Dialogue, and the movement continues to grow. Madeline is now graduating from South San Francisco High School and plans to attend California Lutheran College and study Technical Theater. Her hopes are to one day make Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day a worldwide holiday.

Orion Jean – $5,000

Orion Jean is a 14 year-old rising 10th grader from Mansfield, TX. After winning a national kindness speech contest at the age of 9, he used his prize money to start the “Race to Kindness” campaign, a series of events focused on spreading kindness to others. His pursuit of kindness is fueled by this simple mantra: “If you see a problem, fix it.” He is the author of A Kids Book About Leadership, and a children’s picture book, Race to Kindness. He is also a public speaker who shares his message about kindness in speeches across the country.

How to Apply / Eligibility

Students who wish to be considered for next year’s Lucille Bridges Award must meet both criteria.

Participate in the Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day on November 14 with their school or community group.
Demonstrate changemaking as nominated by their school’s principal, administrator or other community representative.

Award: One student will receive a $5,000 award. The awardee will be announced after Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day.

Deadline: March 31, 2026

Lucille Bridges Award Nomination

To be eligible for the Lucille Bridges Award, schools must be registered for Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day.

Nominator Information

Nominees for the Lucille Bridges Award should be submitted by the school's principal or other administrator.

School / Organization Name(Required)

Nominator Name(Required)

First Last

Title / Role(Required)

Email(Required)

Student Information

Only one (1) student per school may be submitted and selected for consideration.

Student Name(Required)

First Last

Grade(Required)

Address(Required)

City State

Application Questions

The Lucille Bridges Award was established to honor one student who exemplifies acts of service at their school and community. This award is named after Lucille Bridges, the mother of Ruby Bridges, who was a catalyst in the school desegregation movement of 1960.

In 1-2 sentences (~50-150 words): What did the student do? Describe the action, project, or initiative.(Required)

In 1-2 sentences (~50-150 words): What stood out to you? What problem did they confront? How did they interact with other students?(Required)

In 1-2 sentences (~50-150 words): What impact happened? Who benefited, and what changed because of their participation?(Required)

Share one short quote from the student, teacher, or someone impacted (optional).

Is there any other information that you would like to share? For example, any barriers that the student overcame, sustainability of the project, or plans for next steps? (optional)

Supporting Materials (optional)

If you have any other supporting materials, you may provide them here. Lack of additional materials will not negatively impact consideration.

Upload document(s) or images (photos, flyers, etc.) (optional).

Drop files here or

Max. file size: 50 MB.

Link to a short video (optional). Please keep videos under 3 minutes and focus on the student telling their story or showing their project.

Upload to YouTube, Vimeo, Google Drive, or other video-sharing service. Please ensure that videos are publicly viewable with the link provided.

Links to articles, social media posts, or other websites (optional).

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