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OVERVIEW
Students participating in the second annual Hip History Contest brought the early 20th century town of Buxton, Iowa alive through the arts. Buxton was a coal mining town established in 1900 where Blacks and whites were treated equally and Black Americans were leaders in the community.
Middle school and high school students (13 years and older) submitted their creative and educational interpretations of an excerpt from Creating the Black Utopia of Buxton, Iowa. Entries had to be in the form of a video and had to be original work created by the student. While talent was a plus, creativity was much more important.
Entries were narrowed down to finalists by Uniting Through History team members. A panel of successful professional judges then voted for the top three winners in the middle school and high school categories.
Next contest coming September 2025! Join our mailing list to get the news.
MIDDLE SCHOOL
1st Place $2,000
2nd Place: $500
3rd Place: $250
HIGH SCHOOL
1st Place: $2,0002nd Place: $500
3rd Place: $250
WINNERS’ SCHOOL
The winners’ schools will win a matching prize!
PLUS: First Place winners received a 30-minute Zoom call with the contest judge of their choice! All winners were required to open a College Savings 529 Plan for prize check deposits.
The 2022 Hip History Scholarship Contest was funded in part by a grant from the Legacy Foundation, which partners to improve the health, education, and vitality of the City of Ottumwa and Wapello County.
The 2021 Hip History Scholarship Contest was funded in part by a grant from Musco Lighting, which specializes in the design and manufacture of sports and transportation/infrastructure lighting solutions.