The Ridgefield Historical Society is currently inviting Ridgefield High School seniors to submit applications for our annual scholarship. The scholarship — founded in 2022 — encourages students to share their individual perspectives on our Town’s history.
Our 2022 scholarship was awarded to Tyler Ingram, who recounted the lessons he derived from a project transcribing the letters of a Ridgefield family at the turn of the 20th Century. In transcribing the letters, Ingram discovered that while centuries of time may separate individuals, common thoughts and actions unite them. He also was able to relate the commentary in the letters to historic events he learned about at school.
If you are a Ridgefield High School senior, please consider applying; if you know a senior who’d be a good fit, please encourage them to apply. The scholarship application is open and broad by intent, allowing for new ideas, outlooks, and viewpoints. The nature of history is ever-evolving and the perspective of new generations is critical to viewing the past in the context of the present.
What interests you about Ridgefield? The 1777 Battle of Ridgefield? The rich presence of Native Americans on the lands where Ridgefield High School resides today? The Gilded Age? The current Main Street construction project? The wealth of architectural styles, from colonial, to mid-century modern, to communities like Westmoreland and Mimosa, built in the1960s to accommodate the migration of industry and families to Ridgefield? The pandemic? You tell us, Ridgefield High School Seniors.
Scholarship Details
Scholarship Amount: $1,000
Description: Taking inspiration from Ridgefield history, please create a presentation to be shared on the Ridgefield Historical Society website. There are many format options – video, PowerPoint, written word, multi-media, or any type of creative expression. (Please provide in pdf format.)
Additional requirements: One letter of recommendation from a teacher, counselor, administrator, or mentor establishing why you are a good candidate for this award. We’d also like a short (90 seconds or less) video from you, the student, introducing yourself, and your thoughts on why you are a good candidate. Please have fun with this.
Important Details: Students must apply through their Naviance accounts. Submissions will be directed to [email protected] by Monday May 1, 2023. The scholarship recipient will be announced at the Ridgefield High School Scholarship Award Ceremony.
Questions? Please contact the Ridgefield Historical Society at [email protected]
