East Greenwich Historic Preservation Society

EGHPS Scholarship Fund for EGHS Students

The East Greenwich Historic Preservation Society is a community focused local history organization that has provided free monthly speakers, research, exhibits, events and other activities since 1967 when it was founded to thoughtfully preserve the historic fabric of East Greenwich. We welcome all with an interest in history, local or otherwise, to our entirely volunteer organization. Our monthly newsletter, The Packet, explores in-depth history of the Town of East Greenwich as well as current events related to local history.

Each year the EGHPS will award a $1,000 scholarship to a member of the East Greenwich High School graduating class who has demonstrated an interest and service to history-focused causes and projects of benefit to the local East Greenwich community including, but not limited to, work with the East Greenwich Historic Preservation Society.
 
 

Requirements:

  1. Applicants must be residents of East Greenwich, RI.
  2. Applicants must be East Greenwich High School seniors who will be full-time students at a two- or four-year accredited institution of higher learning for the upcoming academic year.
  3. Applicants must have exhibited an interest in East Greenwich history through a research project or through a community service project in the Town of East Greenwich.  Previous scholarship winners developed an audio walking tour of downtown East Greenwich, cleaned up a local cemetery in conjunction with an Eagle Scout project, and performed research and provided a presentation on a presidential election from the 1920s and its effects on East Greenwich.  The project should involve either a product (e.g., presentation, article, etc. appropriate for publication through EGHPS) or a community service project representing at a significant body of work (e.g., 20 hrs with some demonstration of the work such as photos, etc.).  EGHPS senior projects are eligible as well as activities like Eagle Scout projects.  Research should be presented in the MLA style with appropriate bibliographies for sourcing.
  4. Applicants are required to submit with each application a description of the project and the work, how it relates to local history, what initiated their interests, and what they learned through the process and if applicable, the final product or pictures.  250 word maximum.
  5. Students should feel free to consult with EGHPS at info@eghps.org if they have questions about a project.
  6. The student who is awarded the scholarship must agree to allow the EGHPS to publish a photograph of the student –in our publication, The Packet, on our website and in the local papers.
  7. Applicant will complete the attached application and return it with the article or essay to either EGHPS by emailing it to info@eghps.org or to the EGHS Counseling Department.
  8. Finalists will be subject to review by the East Greenwich High School Counseling Department and by the EGHPS Board.
  9. Applications are due through submission to info@eghps.org or in the East Greenwich High School Counseling Department on Monday, April 22, 2024.  Incomplete and late applications will not be accepted.  Research projects without appropriate sourcing and footnotes will be not be accepted.

 
2023 EGHPS Scholarship Recipient
 
The 2023 recipient of the East Greenwich Historic Preservation Society Scholarship is East Greenwich High School graduating senior Raj Vishnu.  Raj is a member and gold medalist on the State Championship 2023 EGHS Academic Decathlon Team who represented the Ocean State in the national competition.  He was honored by the RI House of Representatives and received a RI House Speaker Scholarship.

As a member of BSA Troop 1, East Greenwich, Raj has achieved the highest rank of Eagle Scout.  He organized Troop 1 Scouts, and adults from the East Greenwich Land Trust and the Town of East Greenwich to clean the area around Bleachery Pond and the Maskerchugg River.  Raj points out in his report that Bleachery Pond was once an active and important recreation site for the townspeople.

In the fall, Raj will attend New York’s Rensselaer Polytech Institute and pursue studies in Electrical Engineering.  He intends to pursue a career in sustainable energy and continue to engage in community service projects.  The EGHPS wishes Raj congratulations and best wishes in all of his future endeavors.

   

2022 EGHPS Scholarship Recipient
 

The 2022 recipient of the East Greenwich Historic Preservation Society Scholarship is East Greenwich High School graduating senior Ethan Jautaikis. During the 2021-‘22 school year Ethan worked with members of EGHPS to create an audio tour of Main and Peirce Streets in historic East Greenwich. Ethan determined he would partner with EGHPS to complete an audio tour of a portion of historic East Greenwich as his senior project, a requirement to graduate from East Greenwich High School. Ethan researched the medium of audio recordings and how one aggregates various recordings to make for a smooth and engaging listening experience. Listen to the East Greenwich Walking Tour.

 

 
 2021 EGHPS Scholarship Recipient
 
David ArmisadriThe 2021 recipient of the East Greenwich Historic Preservation Society Scholarship is East Greenwich High School graduating senior David Amirsadri.  David has volunteered dozens of hours  with the EGHPS and engaged in original scholarship to study 1940 presidential candidate Wendell Willkie’s visit to East Greenwich among many other topics. David has also devoted hours to maintenance of EGHPS’ archives and local history topics.  David plans to attend the University of Rhode Island and study electrical engineering.  EGHPS is proud to award the East Greenwich Historic Preservation Society Scholarship to David and looks forward to many years of supporting East Greenwich students with a love of history.