They lost their jobs for refusing to pay a union they didn’t choose. Will you write the next chapter?
Applegate-Jackson-Parks Future Teacher Scholarship
In Michigan, three public-school teachers—Carol Applegate, Kay Jackson, and Dr. Anne Parks—were fired for one reason: they would not finance a labor organization as the price of teaching children.
NILRR’s Applegate-Jackson-Parks Future Teacher Scholarship exists so that story does not stay in the past.
$1,000 is awarded each year to an undergraduate or graduate education major at a U.S. college or university whose 500–700 word essay shows both professional promise and a clear grasp of Right to Work: no one should be forced to join or fund a union to keep a job.
Who can apply
- Declared education majors (including current teachers pursuing a master’s)
- Not high-school students and not undeclared undergrads
What you submit
- Original 500–700 word essay on Right to Work principles and compulsory unionism in education
- Transcript or acceptance letter
- Photo
- Online application (or mail postmarked by Dec. 31)
Deadline: December 31, 2026. Online submissions are open now.
The money goes straight to your school. The recognition goes to the next teacher who treats conscience as part of the job description.
Apply: nilrr.org/resources/applegate-teacher-scholarship-application