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by Emily

Here's an essay contest especially suited for all those history buffs who can't get enough of World War II documentaries on the history channel, as well as the English majors and budding political scientists fascinated by propaganda campaigns.  If you're interested in researching and writing about the invasion of Poland in 1939, you could win $2,000 in scholarship money through this week's Scholarship of the Week.

In recognition of the 70th anniversary of the Nazi-Soviet invasion of Poland, the Kosciuszko Foundation and the Polish Army Veterans of America are sponsoring an essay contest for American students ages 18-22.  On September 1, 1939, after waging a sustained propaganda campaign, the Nazis invaded Poland from the east, and on September 17, 1939, the Soviets invaded from the west without a formal declaration of war.  The Historical Essay contest asks students to research these events in Poland, paying particular attention the propaganda used by the Nazis and Soviets leading up to each invasion and the impact the 1939 invasion of Poland had on the international community.

Prize:

First prize: $2,000

Second prize: $1,000

Eligibility:

Must be a current U.S. resident and between the ages of 18-22 as of September 1, 2009 

by Agnes Jasinski

History is one of the most popular college majors pursued by college students across the country, second only to business. It’s only natural then that there are a number of scholarships out there for future historians, academics, and educators. This week’s Scholarship of the Week is the ALBA George Watt Memorial Essay Contest, an award for history majors particularly interested in Spanish and world history, presented by the Abraham Lincoln Brigade Archives.

Scholarships as specific as this one typically have fewer applicants than sweepstakes or awards based on broader criteria, so your chances of landing this one if you meet all of the qualifications are greatly increased. If you’ve already written essays about the Spanish Civil War, the global political or cultural struggles against fascism in 1920s and 1930s, or the lifetime histories and contributions of the Americans who fought in support of the Spanish Republic from 1936 to 1938, you may as well send your work in. Why not get rewarded for doing well on an assignment? If you’re a history major who has not been exposed to these particular historical events, try out a scholarship search, because there’s a good chance there are history scholarships out there that fit your interest areas.

Prize: Two prizes of $500 will be awarded.

Eligibility: All undergraduate and graduate students are eligible to apply. Work will be judged on the basis of originality, quality of research, and effectiveness of argument or presentation.

June 1, 2010

Required Material: Applicants must submit essays or thesis chapters of between 3,500 and 7,500 words in Spanish or English on topics already mentioned above. Submissions must have been produced to fulfill an undergraduate or graduate course or degree requirement. Any work produced since January 2009 is eligible for the competition. Award winners will be announced at the end of June, and all winning essays are published on the ALBA website.

by Emily

This week's Scholarship of the Week is a scholarship essay contest sponsored by the National World War II Museum.  High school students are invited to write an essay of 1,000 words or less related to the theme of a special exhibit at the National WWII Museum this spring.  The exhibit focuses on the stories of seven Americans of varied backgrounds who fought for equality, freedom, and justice before, during, and after World War II.  Following this theme, students are asked to address the theme "'E Pluribus Unum': How Then/How Now?" in their essays, describing ways diversity can strengthen American society.  Responses should be rooted in World War II history, but should also address more current issues and events.

Prize: 

 
• $1000 first prize
 
• $750 second prize
 
• $500 third prize
 

by Alexis Mattera

Want to put a serious dent in your tuition? You’ll need three things: a working knowledge of the Civil War, a Scholarships.com account and the link directing you to the National Civil War Student Challenge.

The National Civil War Student Challenge is an academic competition presented by HISTORY® and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt that gives students a chance to showcase their knowledge of one of the most pivotal events in American history and qualify to win up to $15,000 in college scholarships. Although all U.S. high school students who are in grades 9 through 12 and are between the ages of 13 and 19 are eligible to participate, content is geared toward the 11th grade curriculum. The top-30 scoring students will be invited to take a 90-minute, proctored in-school Final Exam to determine the top 10 scholarship winners.

Registration is now open on the official website so sign up and start studying. And remember, there are plenty more scholarship opportunities in the Scholarships.com database...check out our free college scholarship search today!

by Emily

This week's Scholarship of the Week is an essay scholarship that should appeal to fans of political science and U.S. history, though it's open to students of every major.  The Lincoln Forum's Platt Family Scholarship Prize Essay Contest offers a top prize of $1,000 for student essays on one of America's most influential presidents.

The 2008 elections brought a renewed interest in Abraham Lincoln, with frequent comparisons made between him and President Obama.  Building on this theme, The Lincoln Forum is inviting current undergraduate students to submit essays on the topic, "Barack Obama and Abraham Lincoln: Getting Right with Lincoln." The scholarship essay contest asks students to discuss which other presidents, in addition to Obama, have been inspired by Lincoln, and to also explore what lessons can be learned from Lincoln's presidency by the Obama administration.

Prize: 

 
• First prize: $1,000
 
• Second prize: $500
 
• Third prize: $250
 

Undergraduate students who were enrolled full-time in the spring semester of 2009 at an American college or university.  U.S. citizenship is not required. 

by Katie Askew

Recently, a few friends and I took advantage of some rare balmy Midwest weather and went on a historical adventure. We didn’t have money or a plan, but we stumbled upon a little piece of Minnesota history right in downtown Minneapolis!

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, a famous American poet, lived in Cambridge, Massachusetts but in 1885, a Minneapolis fish market owner named Robert Jones built a 2/3-scale replica of Longfellow’s home in Minneapolis. Longfellow never lived in the house because he died in 1882 but the city of Minneapolis now owns the house and after years of being used as a haunted mansion, it’s now basically a museum and information center. For an English major like me, this was a fantasy!

This is just one of the many historical sites and national parks in Minnesota and it’s pretty easy to find many types of free museums, historical locations and ancient legends right in your college’s town as well. You can use the National Parks Service’s National Register of Historic Places to find sites like this in your area and most states also have a Historical Society that boasts free or inexpensive history-centered events near you. Even better, check out your dream school’s personal history! It’s always interesting to find out who the buildings are named after or other random facts your campus tour guide can’t tell you. (For example, the University of Minnesota has a heritage trail with markers that describe everything from the history of the campus architecture to university icons and famous alumni.)

Learning about the history of your city not only helps you to feel connected to the past but also helps you to be better informed about interesting occurrences that happened where you live, work, study and play. History is everywhere – you just have to actively seek it out!

Katie Askew is a sophomore at the University of Minnesota pursuing degrees in journalism and English. At school, Katie can be found reading, drumming or working in the Office of Admissions. Outside of school, she enjoys traveling, teaching and performing music and spending time outdoors with friends and family. Katie loves all things zebra and has a necessary addiction to coffee. Her iPod is perpetually playing Death Cab for Cutie or classical music because she truly believes that when words fail, music speaks.

by Angela Andaloro

Class registration time is upon us! For many of us, that means looking through course catalogs and trying to find the perfect schedule that gets us closer to our degree and still gives us time to sleep and have a good time. Many of us will be looking to cross some required classes off of our lists this fall but what about the classes you have to take...for yourself? Here are some types of classes you should consider adding to your own personal required list!

Something creative. I do not have an artistically, musically or similarly inclined bone in my body but I ignored that fact and decided to take a painting class during my freshman year. This turned out to be one of the best ideas I had because it forced me to slow things down and focus on what’s in front of me. Classes that make you flex your creative muscles can take you out of your everyday college stresses and force you to have a little fun.

An interesting history class. If you’re like me, you know plenty of college students who hate history. History classes make everyone reminiscent of high school (seriously, how many times did we learn about the American Revolution?) but college history classes are way different. Find an interesting history class that isn’t on your average topics: I took a class on the history of American women and came out with a lot of interesting info that I’ve actually pulled out in average conversation.

Something to help you get ready for life after college. Many colleges and universities offer classes to seniors on getting into the job market, interview skills, writing résumés and more. There are also classes that can help you figure out what you’d like to major in and help give you direction going forward. These classes can provide you with a wealth of useful information that will help you once your formal education has ended.

What classes are on your required list? Let us know in the comments!

Angela Andaloro is a junior at Pace University’s New York City campus, where she is double majoring in communication studies and English. Like most things in New York City, her life and college experience is far from typical – she commutes to school from her home in Flushing and took nearly a semester’s worth of classes online – but she still likes to hang out with friends, go to parties and feed her social networking addiction like your “average” college student.

by Alexis Mattera

Surely, you’ve learned about the Constitution of the United States in your American History classes but what role do the ideas of that document have today? The Bill of Rights Institute wants to know...and is prepared to award thousands in scholarship dollars to high school students through this year’s We the Students Scholarship Contest!

To be eligible for one of five scholarship awards – $4,000 for first place, $2,000 for second place, $1,000 for third place and two $500 honorable mentions – high school students must answer three questions related to the principles of the Constitution and its relevance in today's society. All prompts can be found on the Bill of Rights Institute’s website, as well as official rules, FAQs and even essay writing tips.

Since the deadline isn’t until November 16th, applicants have plenty of time to perfect their entries. For more information about this and other scholarship opportunities, conduct a free scholarship search today!