Welcome to the CU Boulder Puksta Scholars' Website

Puksta Scholars is a competitive scholarship program open to CU Boulder undergraduate students.  Each year, a small cohort of students are awarded the scholarship with the explicit purpose to serve as catalysts for positive change on campus and in our local, national and international communities. Puksta Scholars are required to develop a project over the course of an academic year that addresses the root causes of social problems and contributes to the common good.

Click here to meet current scholars.

Applications for the 2023-2024 school year open October 1 (deadline March 15, 2024!).

Community issues of interest of current and past scholars include: access to arts education in low-income communities, promoting diversity in upper-division high school courses, providing mentorship and support for first generation and/or undocumented students, preventing police brutality, promoting access for individuals with disabilities, addressing racism on college campuses, integrating LBGTQ+ inclusive curriculum into schools, and addressing mental health disparities in diasporic communities. Throughout the Puksta Program, scholars participate in civic engagement endeavors to develop knowledge, skills, dispositions, and experiences centered around the eco-social justice issues and communities they are most passionate about. The Puksta Scholar Program is one of CU-Boulder's Special Enhancement Opportunities Programs and is a part of CU Engage: Center for Community-Based Learning and Research. This center supports programs and initiatives that work collaboratively to address complex public challenges in the community.

Puksta Foundation LogoCU Boulder is one of five universities that are funded and supported by the Puksta Foundation. Founded in 2001, the Puksta Foundation provides scholarships, mentorship, and experiential community engagement training for undergraduate Colorado students.

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