NAVVF Scholarship Award

Competition Held Biennially

The ongoing mission of the Scholarship Competition is to assist deserving students in the Van Valkenburg family, to increase awareness of the NAVVF and promote membership, to encourage research on the history of the Van Valkenburg family, and to ensure a meaningful presence for our Association among future generations. Family members attending an accredited college or training or certificate program are eligible. Applicants are required to submit a personal essay or research on a topic related to Van Valkenburg heritage.

The following are excerpts from the PAST competition rules. Links to current forms can be found at right.

The submission deadline is usually March 1st. Go by the dates on the current forms.

Eligibility: Any family member who has graduated from high school, or will receive a high school diploma by June [year], and will attend an accredited college or training and certificate program is eligible to apply. Family members are defined as descendants, whether by birth or legal adoption, of Lambert and Annetje Van Valkenburg, who came to New Amsterdam from the Netherlands in 1643, and their spouses; and descendants of others of the surname Van Valkenburg, and their spouses. Variations in the spelling of Van Valkenburg shall not make anyone ineligible.

Exclusions: Members of the immediate families of the current NAVVF Board of Directors and the Scholarship Selection Committee are not eligible to apply.

Requirements:

1. A completed application form. Names and birthplaces of parents and grandparents, clearly indicating Van Valkenburg family lineage, must be provided in the application.

2. A 500-word (minimum), typed essay, research article or business proposal on one of the following topics:

• An article about a VV ancestor whose life experience has particular cultural or scientific significance. Applicants who choose this option should review the archives at tree.navvf.org in order to not duplicate research that has already been done. (Note: Essays on Franklin Van Valkenburg that don't contain fresh information are particularly discouraged.)
  
  
• Research that expands the NAVVF's current genealogical data. Applicants who choose this option are strongly advised to contact the NAVVF Genealogist, [contact], to discuss the topic before beginning research.
  
  
• A practical and well-considered proposal for expansion of NAVVF membership to a new generation, including innovative ideas for program activities.
  
  
• A personal essay on "What My New Amsterdam Dutch Heritage Means To Me." (Note: Essays on the length of the Van Valkenburg surname are discouraged.)

Supporting VV Scholars since 2005

Following the inception of the scholarship fund in 2005, we raised $14,760 in donations from 60 generous individuals and $5,000 from the National Association. To date [2023], nine bi-annual first place scholarships and several second place awards and honoraria have been distributed to Van Valkenburg scholars, totalling $10,900.

Campaign for Increased Endowment

In 2016, the Board voted to increase the first place scholarship prize from $1,000 to $1,500. As college costs in the past two decades have risen astronomically, the NAVVF launched a new funding campaign in hopes of increasing the scholarship award even more.

Donors will also be able to dedicate a donation in honor or in memory of someone.
Consider donating at our DonorBox site, or by check payable to: NAVVF, Inc. and sent to: NAVVF, PO Box 411010, St. Louis, MO 63141

The NAVVF and the Scholarship Committee enthusiastically recommend that membership continue to support the scholarship competition. It may be the most important way of ensuring that the NAVVF retains its relevance by encouraging fresh genealogical research and attracting members from future generations. It has raised awareness and interest among younger Van Valkenburg(h)s, and inspired moving reflections on the meaning of our family heritage.