Scholarships, Contests and Awards
For further details and deadlines, please contact our chapter Regent.
DAR Scholarships
The NSDAR offers several scholarships for the general public and for DAR members, their children or descendants in many different undergraduate and graduate fields of study, including, but not limited to: medical doctor, nursing, occupational therapy, elementary or secondary teaching, law school, business, chemistry, math, music, science, English, American Studies, American history, political science, economics., U.S. government, American literature, American art history, archives management, historic
preservation, music or culture. There are several scholarships available for college-bound Native American youth at both the National and State levels.
For details on some of the National scholarships offered, go to the NSDAR Scholarship page. To access the DAR Scholarship Committee's online scholarship application portal, click here. DAR members should notify their chapter of their participation. Entrants who are non-DAR members must be sponsored by a DAR Chapter. Please contact the regent for more information.
The California State Society DAR (CSSDAR) scholarship for Native Americans is awarded annually.
Contact the Chapter Regent to notify her of your application and follow the detailed directions on each form below.
1. American Indians Committee California Indian Scholarship Information
2. American Indians Committee California Indian Scholarship Application
3. American Indians Committee California Indian Scholarship Financial Need Form
Constitution Week Poster Contest
DAR and non-DAR members are invited to participate in the Constitution Week Poster Contest. So, grab your favorite art tools and plan your project! All entries must be received by the chapter regent by January 1. Please inform the regent before beginning.
- The winning poster will be printed in the spring of 2024 and offered for sale at the DAR store.
- For this year's theme, the poster should illustrate/celebrate the spirit or meaning of the U.S. Constitution..
- For the most recent Constitution Week Poster Contest Guidelines and form, please contact the Regent.
DAR American History Essay Contest
Chapters may reach out to students in the community and do not need to go through just the schools; libraries, church and youth organizations can also participate, but please stay within the state of your chapter.
One essay at each grade level can be selected as the chapter winner and forwarded to the state competition. DAR chapters will then send the winner's essay, title sheet found in forms, and three judges sheets also found in forms, by email to the State Chairman American History for state competition. For more information, please visit the NSDAR's Essay Contests webpage. This contest is conducted without regard to race, religion, sex, or national origin.
The TOPIC for 2023-2024
“The Stars and Stripes Forever" --- On May 14, 1897, John Philip Sousa played his new march, “The Stars and Stripes Forever.” This song would become the national march of the United States on December 11, 1987. Imagine it is 1897 and you are a newspaper reporter for The Philadelphia Times. Your newspaper editor has asked you to write an article about the new song performed that day. Your article needs to tell about Sousa’s life and the story behind the song. It is the first performance of the song, so make sure your article includes thoughts about the music and how the audience reacts to what was seen and heard that day.
Title of Essay: Stars & Stripes Forever
Length 300-1,000 words (depending on grade level, please check forms)
Please note that the entire essay must be the student’s original work. This includes all research, writing, and editing, which must be done by the student only and not by a parent, teacher, tutor, or other helper. Essays not following these guidelines will be disqualified.
AMERICAN HISTORY CONTEST FLYER (AHC1004)
AMERICAN HISTORY CONTEST INFORMATION (AHC1000)
AHC Study Guide - Contact your local DAR Chapter
AHC JUDGE'S SCORING SHEET (AHC1001)
AHC Electronic Contest Submission Form (AHC1008) - DAR USE ONLY (available at State level)
American History Committee Essay Contests Cover Sheet and Signature Form (AHC1009) - DAR USE ONLY (available at State level)
-----------------------------------------
Deadlines for Essay Contests:
Schools to Chapters: November 6
Chapters to District: December 4
Districts to State: January 2
States to Divisions: February 15
Divisions to National: March 15
------------------------------------------
Patriots of the American Revolution DAR High School Essay Contest
In 2021, NSDAR established a new high school-level essay contest focused on figures of the American Revolution, in preparation for the 250th anniversary of the nation’s founding.
The contest is open to students in grades 9th -12th in public, private, or parochial schools, or those who are in registered home school programs. All grades will be judged together, with one chapter winner chosen to move on to the next stage of judging. This contest is conducted without regard to race, religion, sex, or national origin. For more information, please visit the NSDAR's Essay Contests webpage. Please contact your local DAR Chapter for more resources and to let them know you'd like to participate.
The TOPIC for 2023-2024:
Select a figure from the era of the American Revolution (1773-1783). Discuss how he or she influenced the course of the American Revolution, who he or she was and his/her contribution to the founding of a new nation. Figures may be any person, whether a well-known figure or an everyday man, woman, or child who supported the American Revolution in ways large or small.
Students are encouraged to use primary sources (i.e., immediate, first-hand accounts such as letters, diaries, speeches, or newspaper reports) for their research. Lesser well-known figures are acceptable, but subjects must have been actual participants, i.e. not fictionalized.
Patriots of the American Revolution DAR Essay Contest Suggested Reading Resources (these are a few suggestions of the many resources available):
Liberty’s Daughters: The Revolutionary Experience of American Women, 1750-1800 by Mary Beth Norton
The Colored Patriots of the American Revolution: Forgotten Black Heroes by William Cooper Nell
Founding Mothers by Cokie Roberts
Valiant Ambition: George Washington, Benedict Arnold, and the Fate of the American Revolution by Nathaniel Philbrick
Bernardo de Galvez: Spanish Hero of the American Revolution by Gonzalo M. Quintero Saravia
John Adams by David McCullough
Patriot Hero of the Hudson Valley: The Life and Ride of Sybil Ludington by Vincent T. Dacquino
PATRIOTS ESSAY CONTEST FLYER
PATRIOTS ESSAY INFORMATION (AHC1002)
PATRIOTS JUDGE'S SCORING SHEET (AHC1003)
American History Committee Essay Contests Cover Sheet and Signature Form (AHC1009) - DAR USE ONLY (available at State level)
-----------------------------------------
Deadlines for Essay Contests:
Schools to Chapters: November 6
Chapters to District: December 4
Districts to State: January 2
States to Divisions: February 15
Divisions to National: March 15
------------------------------------------
DAR Good Citizens
Each year the Santa Monica Chapter, NSDAR, honors a local high school senior with the DAR Good Citizens award recognizing an individual who exemplifies by demonstration, the qualities of a good citizen: dependability, service, leadership and patriotism!
This program is open to senior-class students enrolled in accredited public or private secondary schools that are in good standing with their state boards of education. Along with the honor of the award, the recipient receives a DAR Good Citizens pin and certificate. This student is then eligible to enter the DAR Good Citizens Scholarship Contest.
Have your school's counselor contact our chapter for instructions and deadlines. For more information, please visit the DAR Good Citizens webpage.
Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) and Junior ROTC (JROTC) Awards
Every Spring, our chapter presents ROTC medals to outstanding high school and college cadets in the local area. For more information, please visit the NSDAR Medals webpage.
Outstanding DAR Service for Veterans Award
This award is presented to a DAR member in recognition of her outstanding care given to veterans in any of the following areas: Department of Veterans Affairs facilities, state veterans facilities, nursing homes, shelters, and outpatient clinics. The Outstanding Veterans Volunteer has given more than her time. She has made meaningful contributions to veterans through creative and resourceful outreach.
Outstanding Teacher of American History
The Outstanding Teacher of American History contest honors full-time teachers of American history, government, or civics for grades five through twelve. Our chapter's nominee won the national competition to become the NSDAR 2021 Outstanding Teacher of American History. See more in our NEWS webpage.