2026 ACIS Scholarship Winners

We are thrilled to announce the winners of the 2026 ACIS Travel is Education Scholarship!

This year’s theme was “Common Ground” and we asked students to express what that phrase meant to them through any kind of medium, from watercolor paintings to video essays. Winners were selected by the ACIS Team based on a combination of artistic expression, creativity and connection to the theme.

Here are the 2026 scholarship winners. And if you’re interested in submitting to the 2027 Scholarship, discover more at the link.

Grand Prize Winner: “Common Ground”– Short Film, Recipient of a $2,500 ACIS Travel Voucher

By Zachary C.K., New Jersey

Artist Statement: This piece connects to the theme of common ground because it focuses on what we all share before anything else. While traveling, I started thinking about how different places can feel so far apart, even though we’re all living on the same planet. No matter where I was, the ground beneath me stayed the same. This film came from slowing down and noticing that shared space, and how connection can exist even when it isn’t obvious.

Runners Up – Five students each receive a $1,000 ACIS Travel Voucher

Doorways to Common Ground – Drawing

By Samantha B., Illinois

Artist Statement: Finding common ground through educational travel is noticing what connects people rather than what separates them. I chose the subject matter of “doorways” in my submission because while a closed door may separate one side from the other, it also connects one side to the other. The four doors in my painting have different architectural details and histories, from a “Dublin Door” (on the bottom left) with a centered doorknob to a “Tallinn Door” (on the top right) with a Gothic arch. I chose to paint these doors all in pink to unite them rather than highlight their differences. These doors are from all corners of the globe but united on this single page. Finding common ground means noticing that across borders and backgrounds, people are united by similar needs, habits and hopes. Connection and collaboration grow from being eager to learn from one another and from stepping through new doorways with an open mind and curiosity.

“We Belong” – Poem

By Ramen D., North Carolina

Artist Statement: My poem shows how traveling helped me realize that even when people come from different countries and speak different languages, we share the same feelings and experiences. Through small moments like laughing, eating together, and connecting without words, I learned that common ground isn’t about where we’re from, but about our shared humanity and sense of belonging.

“Homelands” – Poem

By Vojtech H., Texas

Artist Statement: This pieces explore how travel to my parents’ home country helped me understand that common ground doesn’t mean abandoning differences: it means finding connection within them. Through visiting the Czech Republic, I learned that being bicultural isn’t about choosing sides but about bridging worlds, and that the most profound connections often happen in the spaces between languages, traditions, and identities.

“Common Ground” – Original Song

By Annie S., Delaware

Artist Statement: “I believe that “Common ground” is the foundation to building lifelong friendships. The song I wrote explores the discovery of a beautiful friendship formed between two people who share similar interests and beliefs and relates to my own experience of finding a new friend through those connections.”

“Together We Stand” – Artwork

By Alice S., Oklahoma

Artist Statement: A long time ago, when on a trip to Hong Kong with my family, I saw and experienced all sorts of new cultures and ideas. A key memory I could never forget was hearing the popular song from my home country, “High Hopes” by Panic at the Disco, in this unfamiliar land. We were on the other side of the world yet when I heard that song, everything seemed less scary. At that moment I realized just how universal music was. It’s all over the place, shared as the only language everyone understands. By using the headphones I got from the plane for that trip, I try to showcase that it isn’t just me who appreciates music but everyone on earth.