Napa Landmarks Student Scholarships

Questions? Email us at info@napacountylandmarks.org or text/call our office mobile at 707-231-8261.

Discover, Preserve, and Celebrate!

The Napa Landmarks Student Scholarship celebrates student voices and the places that matter most to them in Napa County. This program invites graduating students to share personal stories about a landmark that has shaped their life, perspective, or sense of belonging. What makes our county’s heritage special and why does it matter to your community? How does the landmark help define your identity? This program is designed to be accessible and creative—students are not required to submit letters of recommendation or transcripts. Instead, we invite them to share their perspective and imagination through a short essay, video, slideshow, or poem exploring a place in Napa County that matters to them.

We can’t wait to see your creative and inspiring submissions. We offer $1000 scholarships to 15 students annually and have awarded $72,000 to aspiring scholars in our community since the beginning of the program in 2019. Together, we are supporting the next generation of storytellers and community stewards. We look forward to hearing your voice and learning about how you see Napa through your own eyes.

Deadline closed for 2026.  Read the 2025 Award Winners Here. See below for more information about the scholarship and selection process.

Here’s how you can join this exciting opportunity:

Eligibility Criteria: Students enrolled at Napa County High Schools, Napa Valley College, Napa Valley Independent Studies, or Napa Valley Adult Education applying for (and eventually accepting) admittance to an accredited two-year or four-year college, university, or approved post-secondary program. No reference letters or transcripts required. We just want you to express your viewpoint. 

Scoring the Applications: A volunteer Scholarship Committee will review all applications using an Evaluation Rubric. Please reference the rubric to better understand the scoring criteria, which includes: local landmark name and place, why the landmark has significance for you, how it connects to the community identity and history, and quality of original work.

Notifying the Winners: The Scholarship Committee recommendations will be certified by Napa County Landmarks and the winners notified through their school staff or counselors before graduation. Scholarship payments are routed through your school/school counselor after the student has delivered verification of enrollment in an advanced-studies program.

• Think about a place in Napa County that inspires you, tells a story, or feels like the heart of your community. Your landmark does not need to be old or officially designated. It could be a building, a stone bridge, a beloved neighborhood, a park, a garden, or any site tied to a favorite memory or a special place to visit with your family, for example. Identify and describe the landmark.

Step 2: Share Its Story and Future

• Tell us why this landmark matters—both to you and to Napa County. What makes it irreplaceable? How does it connect to your community identity or history? What would you say, do, or create to ensure its legacy lives on through historic preservation or similar community efforts?

Step 3: Choose Your Format to Shine

You can express your vision in one of these ways. All submissions (writing and images) should be original, personally created work and not machine-generated or produced using artificial intelligence tools.

• • Written Essay: Write approximately 500 words capturing the landmark’s importance and its role in your community. This is not a formal college essay; we value honesty, creativity, and lived experience over academic tone.
  • Narrative Poem. Submit an original narrative poem that tells a story connected to a meaningful landmark in Napa County. Your poem might explore memory, place, identity, or change over time. Free verse or structured poetry is welcome. What matters most is clarity of voice and a strong sense of place.
  • Creative Video or Slideshow: Film a video or narrated slideshow where you bring the landmark’s story to life: give a tour, interview others, or even act out a community rally. Be creative! Three to five minutes is a good length. See more instructions below on submitting video or other media.

Step 4: Submit your Entry

• Written Essay: Use the submittal box on the online form for your written essay. We suggest you write it in another program, save the file, and copy the text to the online form.
• Video or Other Media: See the instructions and use the link below to submit video or other media.
• If you prefer to send your essay or video via email or hard copy, submit the online application with your name and information, and label your essay or state your name in your video. Then email  your entry to info@napacountylandmarks.org with the subject line “Landmarks Scholarship Application.” Or send your materials to Napa County Landmarks, PO Box 267, Napa, CA, 94559. Entries must be emailed or postmarked by March 27 to be eligible for review.

• By submitting an essay, video, or slide show as part of your scholarship application, you retain full ownership of your work. However, Napa County Landmarks reserves the right to excerpt, publish, or otherwise share your submission, with proper attribution, in promotional materials, on our website, or through other platforms. This allows us to celebrate your creativity and inspire others while respecting your authorship.
• Applicants under the age of 18 must provide parental or legal guardian consent as part of the application process. By submitting an application, the parent or guardian grants permission for Napa County Landmarks to use the student’s submission, name, image, and likeness for educational and promotional purposes related to the scholarship program.
• For video submissions, applicants are responsible for securing permission from anyone who appears in their video.
• Eligible Institutions: Scholarship funds may be used toward tuition and eligible educational expenses at an accredited two-year or four-year college, university, or approved post-secondary program.
• Students who are not selected as scholarship recipients are welcome to reapply in future years, provided they continue to meet eligibility requirements. Previous scholarship recipients are not eligible to receive the award more than once.
• Non-Discrimination Statement: Napa County Landmarks is committed to equity and inclusion. The organization does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or any other protected characteristic in the administration of this scholarship program.
• Program Administration and Changes: Napa County Landmarks reserves the right to modify, suspend, or cancel this scholarship program at any time, and to revise eligibility criteria, timelines, or requirements as necessary.