Wilson Grants

History Grants

Wilson History Grants


MBA is pleased to offer the opportunity for Wilson Grants to engaged and interested students rising 10th through rising 12th grades for the summer 2024. Students who excel in history courses and are very interested in fields such as history, political science/law, international relations, economics, historical archaeology, or anthropology are eligible for these grants. Programs focused on entrepreneurship or business are not generally considered eligible for Wilson History Grant funding. The purposes of these summer program grants are to reward excellence and engagement and to offer students the opportunity to pursue, explore, and enhance their interest in history and related fields.
     
Students may either apply for a Wilson Grant for a pre-approved program (see list below) or propose participation in a program or research project of their choosing (i.e., not on the pre-approved list). We encourage students to explore the latter approach, but these do need departmental approval from the history department prior to submitting the application. Please seek approval for it as soon as possible by speaking and providing information about the program to your current history teacher and to Dr. Bailey.
     
DEADLINE FOR SUMMER 2024 SELECTION IS:
MONDAY, JANUARY 8, 2024, BY 3:30 PM
 
  
Criteria and Expectations:
The Wilson History and Social Sciences Grant recipients are chosen from applicants from the current 9th, 10th, and 11th grades. Generally, opportunities broaden and increase for students in higher grades.  Applicants will be chosen on the following bases--
  1. Has consistently demonstrated excellence and intellectual curiosity in the study of history and is committed to taking full advantage of the history offerings at MBA. 
  2. Desires to pursue history-related fields in college and in other arenas beyond MBA. 
  3. Is of exemplary character, and gives evidence that he will represent the school well, both on and off campus.
  4. Demonstrates relevance of program to his own intellectual interests and goals and articulates those interests and goals well.  
  
Some preference will be given to those who have not received a Wilson History Grant previously, but recipients of grants from previous years are certainly eligible. If offered and upon accepting a grant by the History Department, the student will complete and submit a final application for the program in a timely fashion.
 
During or upon completion of the program, each grantee is expected to:
  1. Document the experience with some form of daily journal that is substantive and includes meaningful reflections upon the topics, experiences and activities of each day. 
  2. Be prepared to present or otherwise share based upon the experience to the larger community and/or participate in the National History Day competition.
  3. Act as ambassador and as a resource for the next group of applicants and student Grantees.
  4. Represent the school and the History Department well.
 
Award Description:
The Wilson Grant will cover all or part of the cost of tuition, room, and board for the program. It will be reimbursed to families by the school. Students and families should be aware that they may incur additional costs beyond basic program costs which will not be covered.
 
Pre-Approved Programs:
Listed below are some Pre-Approved Programs for 2024, with short descriptions, eligible grade levels, and links to more information. This list may be updated from time to time leading up to the application deadline.

PLEASE NOTE, this is not an exclusive list, and we are open to students finding other programs. Those must, however, be pre-approved. Many colleges and universities and other institutions offer quality summer programs. If a student finds such a program and wishes to apply for a Wilson Grant for it, however, he should consult with his history teacher and get prior approval from Dr. Bailey. To do so, the student should gather sufficient information about the program and share it with his current history teacher and Dr. Bailey.
  
Georgetown University Academies
These are for rising sophomores through rising seniors in topics such as Law, Politics, International Relations, and National Security. These one week academies are typically offered between early June and late July. See this link for the specific dates of each particular Institute. Many MBA students have participated in these academies in summers past.
   
Nashville Sister Cities 
This a very worthwhile but expensive endeavor, so funding would certainly be partial. (Brycen Brown participated in this program in 2019 and went to China).
   
Northwestern University
Northwestern offers an array of pre-collegiate programs, including one called Ethics in Politics (taken by Matthew Kaplan in 2019). For more information, click here.
College Prep Program
   
Rhodes Mock Trial Academy
This program is offered for students who have shown a keen interest in and dedication to mock trial (taken by Jazz Oberoi in 2023).
  
William & Mary
This Pre-College program in American History is for rising juniors and seniors.
American History
    

Montgomery Bell Academy

4001 Harding Road
Nashville, TN 37205
(615) 298-5514