Congressional Essay Contest
Every year the NSCDA hosts a national essay contest for highschoolers that encourages them to connect with their history through writing about an important government topic.
Participants are asked to write a compelling 750-word essay that responds to a historical topic.
Winners receive full tuition and travel support to the annual Congressional Seminar hosted by Workshop Foundation. The Congressional Seminar is an interactive civics-focused workshop in Washington D.C. that includes a variety of historical tours and interactive experiences.
2025-2026 Essay Topic
Describe the principles in the Declaration of Independence you believe are most important in lifting the human condition and explain how they have helped this country meet evolving challenges over our 249 years.
Read Winning Essays
American Heritage Award
The American Heritage Award (AHA) celebrates the patriotic ideals of the NSCDA and brings together the Corporate Societies in a region in support of each other. Each year, one Corporate Society in each of the four Regions is the lead or “Spotlight Society.”
The AHA may be awarded by the Spotlight Society to an organization, group, or as a scholarship. The recipient or recipients must use the award to promote knowledge of patriotism and American heritage through community work, programs, projects, or through a course of study in the community. The American Heritage Awards may be given only to non-profit organizations. No American Heritage Award funds may be given directly to individuals. Relatives of Dames may not be considered for the American Heritage Awards.
Tennessee was the recipient of the Region III American Heritage Award in 2024 and chose to support The Calvin Coolidge National Medal of Honor Heritage Center in Chattanooga. With our sponsorship for their Annual “Celebration of Valor” in July of 2024, Rear Admiral Jeffrey Spivey dedicated 12 paver stones which represent eleven Medal of Honor recipients from our southern Colonial Dames region. The stones are engraved with the Name, Military Branch and home state of our Medal of Honor recipients. The pavers have been placed on the Medal of Honor Plaza in memory of our eleven. The 12th paver states:
WITH THE GRATITUDE OF THE NSCDA
FOR THOSE WHOSE
BRAVERY, PATRIOTISM
AND
LOVE OF COUNTRY
BUILT THIS NATION
American Heritage Award
The American Heritage Award (AHA) celebrates the patriotic ideals of the NSCDA and brings together the Corporate Societies in a region in support of each other. Each year, one Corporate Society in each of the four Regions is the lead or “Spotlight Society.”
The AHA may be awarded by the Spotlight Society to an organization, group, or as a scholarship. The recipient or recipients must use the award to promote knowledge of patriotism and American heritage through community work, programs, projects, or through a course of study in the community. The American Heritage Awards may be given only to non-profit organizations. No American Heritage Award funds may be given directly to individuals. Relatives of Dames may not be considered for the American Heritage Awards.
Tennessee was the recipient of the Region III American Heritage Award in 2024 and chose to support The Calvin Coolidge National Medal of Honor Heritage Center in Chattanooga. With our sponsorship for their Annual “Celebration of Valor” in July of 2024, Rear Admiral Jeffrey Spivey dedicated 12 paver stones which represent eleven Medal of Honor recipients from our southern Colonial Dames region. The stones are engraved with the Name, Military Branch and home state of our Medal of Honor recipients. The pavers have been placed on the Medal of Honor Plaza in memory of our eleven. The 12th paver states:
WITH THE GRATITUDE OF THE NSCDA
FOR THOSE WHOSE
BRAVERY, PATRIOTISM
AND
LOVE OF COUNTRY
BUILT THIS NATION
American History Award Scholarships
NSCDA-TN American History Award
The American History Award is a Tennessee-specific award, funded through the Historic Activities & Patriotic Service Fund (HAPS), which awards scholarships to two students each year who are studying American History. The amount is confirmed annually with the NSCDA-TN Board of Managers.
Annual Rotation of scholarship regions: Memphis > Knoxville > Chattanooga > Nashville > repeat.
2023/2024 Memphis: University of Memphis & Rhodes College
2024/2025 Knoxville: UT Knoxville & Maryville College
2025/2026 Chattanooga: UT Chattanooga & Sewanee University of the South
2026/2027 Nashville: Middle Tennessee State University and Vanderbilt
2027/2028 Restart cycle (Memphis)
2024-2025 Winners
- Kayana Donnegan, student at Maryvillle College
- Amanda Deanda, student at UT Knoxville
Research Projects
The below are projects that were started by Dames for the purpose of preserving valuable information about the history of Tennessee. These projects are intended to assist researchers by connecting them with Tennessee’s past.
Tennessee Portrait Gallery
The Tennessee Portrait Project is an initiative by NSCDA-TN to catalogue portraits related to Tennessee subjects or notable figures. Portraits can come from private collections or institutions and can be located anywhere, if they have relevance to Tennessee through their subject or artist.
Davidson County Cemetery Survey Project
Launched by 12 dedicated members of The Nashville Town Committee of The National Society of The Colonial Dames of America in Tennessee (NSCDA-TN), the Davidson County Cemetery Survey has grown into a broad community endeavor. Over 375 volunteers have participated in visiting cemeteries and recording gravestone inscriptions, while an additional 250 individuals have contributed research, directions, and archaeological expertise.