Florence Kidder Memorial Scholarship

The Florence Kidder Memorial Scholarship honors the memory of the first president of the National Society of the Colonial Dames of America in the State of North Carolina, Florence Hill Kidder. This scholarship is awarded to high school seniors in North Carolina who plan to attend a post-secondary institution in North Carolina. Six scholarships are awarded annually with varying amounts: first place receives $3,000, second place receives $1,000, third place receives $800, and three fourth place recipients each receive $400. The scholarships are not renewable. For the 2026 award cycle, applicants must write an essay on 'Exploring the Voices of Early Carolina: Life, Hardship and Settlement Through Primary Sources,' analyzing firsthand accounts written during the earliest years of English exploration and settlement in Carolina. The essay should describe life during this period, highlighting hardships and challenges faced by both early European settlers and Indigenous peoples, including considerations of the physical environment, interpersonal dynamics, disease, access to resources, and efforts to attract new settlers.