The Star-Spangled Banner Flag House in Baltimore Maryland is a National Historic Landmark and the historic home of Mary Pickersgill, the craftswoman of the Star-Spangled Banner Flag that flew over Ft.McHenry during the War of 1812 and inspired Francis Scott Key's words to the National Anthem.

This year on Flag Day, Friday, June 14th, 2019 the Flag House will award the seventh annual Flag House Scholar Award and a scholarship in the amount of $1,812.00 to a Maryland high school senior to put toward the college of his/her choice. The winner will be chosen by a panel of judges as a result of an essay submission.

Requirements:

1. Essay must be no more than 350 words.

2. Essay must be submitted through this form- please do not e-mail or mail your essay.

3. Essay must answer the question posed.

4. Winner must be a Maryland high school senior and able to travel to Baltimore to read their essay aloud at the Flag House on June 14, 2018.

5. The scholarship will only be paid directly to the winner's college of choice.

Submissions will be accepted until 4:00 p.m. Friday, March 22, 2019.

2019 ESSAY PROMPT:

Preservation of Maryland's historic landmarks is all around you whether you realize it or not! From the rebuilding efforts after devastating floods in Ellicott City to the preservation of National Historic Landmarks like the Flag House, saving historic structures is environmentally conscious, can revitalize communities, provide jobs, and give agency to the stories of individuals who would otherwise be lost to history. Identify or explore your community to find an example of historic preservation that has impacted your life in a positive way. What story was preserved? How has it changed your understanding of the history of your community? What was the positive impact on your life and how has it changed your opinion of the benefits of historic preservation?

Further reading and resources to help you brainstorm are linked below.

- Preservation Maryland Projects: http://www.preservationmaryland.org/programs/

- National Register of Historic Places: https://www.nps.gov/subjects/nationalregister/

- National Trust for Historic Preservation: https://goo.gl/xFUeWW

- Maryland Historic Trust: https://mht.maryland.gov/


Please formulate a thoughtful and creative answer and feel free to reference additional information.

HELPFUL LINKS:

Working with primary sources:
http://www.learnnc.org/lp/pages/745

Effective Writing:
http://www.niu.edu/writingtutorial/

Essays will be graded using the six (6) traits of a strong essay:
1. Ideas
2. Organization
3. Word Choice
4. Sentence Fluency
5. Voice
6. Conventions

Privacy Policy: The information you provide when submitting your essay is for internal office use only and will be used simply to contact the scholar selected to receive the award. Your information will not be used for advertising or solicitation purposes.