The Wilton Heritage Commission is offering a $5,000 scholarship, named for one of the commission founders, Stanley Young, to a graduating senior residing in the Wilton-Lyndeborough Cooperative District.

Applicants must be a graduating high school senior from Wilton or Lyndeborough attending Wilton-Lyndeborough Cooperative High School, being homeschooled within the district or from the High Mowing School who is pursuing higher education at a college, university or trade school. Preference will be given to applicants planning to study history, education, film or videography.

This past year, the Wilton Heritage Commission worked with a videographer and High Mowing graduate Kirill Bykanov to produce a film for the fourth-grade local history curriculum, which includes information about important historical sites in Lyndeborough and Wilton. Deb Mortvedt, a member of the scholarship committee, said while students pursuing interests such as history or education were an easy fit for the scholarship, she also suggested the committee include film.

“We wanted to paint with as broad a brush as possible, but still specific to the Heritage Commission and what we support,” Mortvedt said.

The film was a way to provide the usual fourth-grade heritage tour to local landmarks in a socially distanced way, and Mortvedt said there has already been interest in seeing more in-depth documentaries about town history.

This is the first time the Heritage Commission has supported a community scholarship, Mortvedt said, and it was made possible by $3,000 in donations from two community families. The Heritage Commission will be raising the remaining $2,000 this spring to provide a full $5,000 scholarship.

Applications must include the student’s name, high school, home address, email, phone and parents’ names and addresses. Applicants must answer three questions, including what post-secondary school they plan to attend and why they chose that school, their intended field of study and what inspired them to pursue that field, and what they hope to do with their degree or field of study after graduation.

In addition to general background information, students must also visit one of the 22 Heritage signs at Wilton landmarks, and write an essay about three of those sites. All Wilton Heritage sites are available on the Heritage Commission page at wiltonnh.gov.

Students must also watch the film project, “Wilton-Lyndeborough: A Shared History,” which is available on YouTube and can be found by searching the title, and write about their reactions and impressions.

A full copy of the application can be found on the Wilton website. Applications must be received by April 20 and must include a transcript and one reference letter.

Finalists will have an interview with the committee in the Historical Rooms of the Wilton Public Library during the first week of May.

No late applications will be accepted. In addition to the transcript and reference letter, student may attach additional information including expanded answers to questions, videos and pictures, recommendation letters, copies of any honors, awards or special recognition or any information relevant to the committee. The award will be given to the institution the student is attending and included in their financial aid package. The award may be deferred up to one calender year.

Donations are being accepted to be put toward the scholarship fund, and there will be scholarship donation containers available at tables at the Winter Festival and Town Meeting.

Return completed applications to Deb Mortvedt, 126B Pead Hill Road, Wilton.  Mortved t can be reached b y phone at 515-231-7535 with any question s.

Ashley Saari can be re ached at 603-924-7172 ext. 244 or asaari@ledgertranscript.com. She’s on Twitter @AshleySaariMLT.