The Discovery Award is a project competition run by the Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes for students in grades 4–12. Students research primary sources about an Unsung Hero and create a project that tells that person's story.
What counts as an Unsung Hero:
The Center describes Unsung Heroes as role models who showed extraordinary courage and compassion without seeking credit, and whose names are often not found in history books. Examples on the competition page include social worker Irena Sendler, who saved hundreds of children from the Warsaw Ghetto during World War II; Kendall Reinhardt, a Little Rock Central High School senior who was kind to the nine African American students who desegregated his school; and photojournalism student Therese Frare, whose photograph changed the public face of AIDS in the early 1990s.
Project modes:
The 2027 application form lists three project modes:
- Performance
- Website
- Documentary
Students may enter individually or in a group of up to five. The form asks for a teacher's contact details and the school's name and address.
2027 timeline:
| Milestone | Date |
|---|---|
| Projects due | July 1, 2027 |
| Finalists announced | September 2, 2027 |
| Winners announced | September 15, 2027 |
The application form must also be submitted by July 1, 2027. The Center notes that finalist and winner announcement dates are subject to change.
Prizes:
| Award | Prize |
|---|---|
| Grand Prize | $5,000 |
| First Place | $2,500 |
| Outstanding High School Project | $2,000 |
| Outstanding Middle School Project | $2,000 |
| Outstanding Elementary School Project | $1,500 |
The page also lists numerous additional awards. In previous years, the Center has given cash prizes and certificates of recognition to additional projects, and teachers may also receive awards. Prize funds are unrestricted, and all winning projects are featured on the Lowell Milken Center website. The Center reserves the right to modify award categories at any time.
About the Lowell Milken Center:
The Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes is headquartered in Fort Scott, Kansas. It works with students and educators on student-driven projects that discover Unsung Heroes from history.
2027 entry requirements, checked November 4, 2026: The guidelines require school enrollment as of September 24, 2026, allow homeschooling, and require an Unsung Hero whose defining actions occurred at least 20 years ago. Work must be developed during the current school year. Documentary and performance entries are limited to 12 minutes; websites to 1,200 student-composed words and 100 MB. Each format needs an annotated bibliography and a process paper of at most 500 words. The entry instructions and 2027 form require receipt by July 1, 2027, with no exact clock or timezone stated. No entry fee is expressly listed; that absence does not establish free entry.