The Judie Aronson Initiative has established three $3000 awards to be provided annually.  Each year, there will be one award to a student at each of three high schools–Hilton Head, Bluffton and May River.  These awards are given in honor of the late Judie Aronson, a Hilton Head resident whose passion was advocating for social justice and education in the Lowcountry.

The purpose of the award is to recognize high school juniors or seniors who demonstrate a commitment to social justice in their communities.  This award is not a scholarship, and you do not have to be college-bound to receive the award.

For the purposes of the Aronson Award, social justice refers to the belief that every person deserves to be treated with dignity and should have equal access to opportunities and privileges within our community and society—that all individuals and groups of people are entitled to fair and impartial treatment by others.  Review the Social Justice tab on this website for further information on our definition of social justice.

To apply for the Aronson Award for high school juniors or seniors, review our definition of social justice and evaluation guidelines, then complete and submit the online application no later than March 15, 2024Your application and a letter of recommendation must be submitted through this website.  The letter of recommendation should relate specifically to social justice activities.  Additional materials should not be included, as they will not be considered in making this award. 

The Aronson Social Justice Award Committee will review all applications, then determine the three recipients of the 2024 awards no later than May 2024.