Submission period open for annual Ellwood City Area Historical Society scholarships

Nicholas Vercilla, Ellwood City Ledger
·2 min read
Submissions for the annual Robert and Janice Barensfeld scholarships, through the Ellwood City Area Historical Society, are now open, up to April 7.
Submissions for the annual Robert and Janice Barensfeld scholarships, through the Ellwood City Area Historical Society, are now open, up to April 7.

ELLWOOD CITY — Submissions for the annual Robert and Janice Barensfeld scholarships, through the Ellwood City Area Historical Society, are now open.

Two scholarship winners, one from the Ellwood City Area School District and the other from the Riverside School District, which each be awarded $1,500.

Applicants must be accepted to attend a college trade school, or performing arts center in order to apply.

Applications may be received from their high school guidance counselor office or from the society at 310 Fifth St., Ellwood City, Pa., 16117.

To apply, applicants must write a historical topic essay, about a historical topic within the boundaries of the two school districts.

The essay must be 400-600 words, double spaced, font size 12, researched and documented with a minimum of five noted sources, and can be about people, the Harmony Trolley, churches, family farms/businesses or social organizations.

Applicants are to not write about themselves or their families in any way. Applications are to be addressed to the Ellwood City Area Historical Society, with the attention being the scholarship committee.

They can be dropped off in person, mailed, or dropped off in the mail slot. They are due by 1 p.m. April 7.

Applicants can stop at the society during normal business hours from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, or call at 724-752-2021, for general information, previous essay topics and research help.

They can also call to make an appointment during the evening.

Essay selections will be made by the scholarship committee based solely on the content of the essay.

Winning essays will be announced at the society's May 9 meeting, with the winners to be notified in advance in order to attend, as they must attend and read their essay in order to receive the award.

The society has awarded scholarships since 1999, having contributed $69,000 to 46 graduating seniors.

More: The scholarship winners from 2021

Nicholas Vercilla is a staff reporter for the Ellwood City Ledger. He can be reached at nvercilla@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Ellwood City Ledger: Submissions open for annual Ellwood Historical Society scholarships