Carmel Chalmers History Scholarship
Students at St Philip’s in Years 8-11 are invited to apply for the Carmel Chalmers History Scholarship.
The award engages students in local history and provides an extra challenge for those wishing to extend their study outside the classroom. The theme for this year’s award is, ‘People from Central Australia’s Past – stories of their lives and why I think they need to be remembered.’
Students select a person or group of people who they think have made an interesting or significant contribution to Central Australia, perhaps in the field of business, health, education, sport, transport, the arts, philanthropy or other community development. You might choose to focus on the distant past or more recent history. Students present their findings as an essay (minimum 500 words) or an equivalent alternative form such as a film or multimedia presentation. The best entry from St Philip’s receives a $1000 monetary prize. This generous prize is made available in honour of Carmel Chalmers, a previous staff member at our school and a long-term contributor to Central Australia.
Students are reminded that there are numerous resources they can draw on for their research. The Alice Springs library has a rich local history section, and many visitor centres are excellent sources of information. The St Philip’s library also has a selection of books on loan from the NT National Trust McDouall Stuart Branch that can be accessed by students participating in the scholarship. Students may be aware of a lesser-known identity that they think should be remembered. Personal or family histories from Central Australia are welcome and can be supported with information taken from primary sources such as interviews and photographs.
If you would like to know more about the scholarship, or need help preparing your entry, please contact Mrs Pfeiffer. Alternatively, come to the library any Friday in Break 1 for a chat.
Entries close on 24 October, giving you time to work on it over the school holidays. Good luck!