Historic Santa Fe Foundation Announces
The HSFF High School Research Fellowship

Historic Santa Fe Foundation (HSFF) is excited to launch a Fellowship for high school juniors and seniors. Applications for the 2025-2026 Fellowship are now open through June 30, 2025. The HSFF High School Fellowship enables regional high school students to discuss New Mexico’s history with local historians, archeologists, and preservation trades professionals while working on their own research project. The program will culminate with a reception in April of 2026.

The Organization
Since its founding in 1961, the Historic Santa Fe Foundation (HSFF) has been an active participant in the preservation efforts in the city of Santa Fe and Northern New Mexico and a contributor to the historic narrative told through the region's people and architecture. Our mission is to preserve, protect and promote the historic properties and diverse cultural heritage of the Santa Fe area, and to educate the public about Santa Fe's history and the importance of preservation.

For donations by check: Please indicate that you are donating to the HSFF High School Fellowship and mail the check to Historic Santa Fe Foundation, 545 Canyon Rd Ste 2, Santa Fe NM 87501. Thanks!

THANK YOU TO OUR DONORS
Rob and Jody Wilson
Randi Lowenthal
Sarah Stark
Jeff Pappas
Dorothy Bracey and Tom Johnson
Anonymous Donor

ABOUT THE FELLOWSHIP

the inaugural group of Fellows (2023-2024) visiting the museum of spanish colonial arts,

The Historic Santa Fe Foundation’s High School Fellowship provides high school juniors and seniors the opportunity to examine New Mexico’s history and related contemporary issues with local historians, archeologists, and preservation trades professionals. Participating students will spend the academic year 2025-2026 meeting in historic properties across Santa Fe where they will take part in discussions on history while working on a research project. The topics of the meetings will include Northern New Mexico’s built environment, cultural events, and contemporary discourse on history and preservation. Students will publicly deliver their capstone project at the end of the program.

The Fellowship runs from September to April. Students will present their work at a reception in April of 2026. Students must commit to attending all meetings and the reception in April of 2026.

For more information on the HSFF High School Fellowship, contact: Education Programs and Publications Manager Hanna Churchwell at 505-983-2567 or hanna@historicsantafe.org.

Description
The Historic Santa Fe Foundation (HSFF) announces the availability of a fellowship established in 2023 for the purpose of encouraging regional high school upperclassmen to engage with Santa Fe’s history and present-day preservation efforts. The Fellowship will be awarded to high school juniors and seniors enrolled in Santa Fe, Los Alamos, San Miguel, and potentially Mora and Taos counties who are interested in exploring career fields including museum studies, historic preservation, architecture, and allied disciplines. Fellows will work with HSFF staff, committee members, and guest speakers to complete a research project on New Mexico’s history and present it at a reception in April of 2026. Upon successful completion of their responsibilities Fellows will be awarded a sum of $500 for college tuition.

Research Projects
The HSFF research project is one of the three key elements of the fellowship program and affords students the opportunity to explore an aspect of historic or heritage preservation in New Mexico. These projects should contextualize a historical event, cultural facet, or community ceremony. For example, research projects could survey the impacts of the Old Santa Fe Trail in the nineteenth century, examine Sunmount Sanitorium’s multifaceted legacies, or discuss competing perspective and controversies surrounding the Carson Obelisk. These projects should consider how the built environment, or a cultural ritual, impacted New Mexico’s historical landscape.

HSFF staff members will help students generate topic proposals and focus research trajectories. Students are required to turn in a topic proposal, first and final drafts. Projects should be driven by an analytical thesis statement and supported by substantial primary sources and secondary scholarship. Ten referenced sources will anchor the research.

Research Papers
Papers should be between 2000-2500 words. All references must be put in Chicago Manual Style and included in a bibliography.

Community Service and Art Projects
Community service and art projects may substitute research papers. Fellows proceeding with this path will undertake interdisciplinary, project-based studies and are encouraged to integrate history, art, design, politics, community organization, economic development, urban planning, or tourism into their projects. This option has been designed with a strong focus on preparing fellows for the working world.

Some degree of writing is still required for community service and art projects, fellows on this path must conduct research and submit an explanation of their thesis, research process, project development, and an evaluation of the success of their project. Fellows interested in pursuing this track of the fellowship, must receive approval from High School Fellowship leads Hanna Churchwell, HSFF Education Programs and Publications Manager, and Nicholas Wirth, HSFF Board Member, before proceeding with a project.


Program Goals

The HSFF High School Fellowship exists to provide: 

  • A deeper understanding of Northern New Mexico’s history and cultural resources

  • A space where young people drive the dialogue on the future of historic preservation

  • Exposure to preservation-related careers and connection to professionals in those fields

  • Mentorship and experience in developing, researching, writing, and presenting an academic work

Responsibilities of the Fellow

  • Attend five sessions of the Fellowship

  • Present a completed research project at the reception in April of 2025

  • Participate fully in the educational activities of the program: complete assigned readings before each session,
    actively engage in thoughtful discussion, and meet research project deadlines

  • Submit an evaluation of the Fellowship program

2025-2026 Project Guidelines Coming Soon

Terms of the Fellowship Award
Fellows shall be awarded a sum of $500 for college tuition and materials once they have attended all sessions, submitted their final research project, and presented their work at the final reception.

2025-2026 Session Schedule

A hybrid meeting option is available for students who reside outside of Santa Fe County.

  • Schedule for the 2025-2026 sessions will be announced soon

2023-2024 Speakers, Topics, and Locations

  • Rob Martinez, NM State Historian | The Role of State Historian | El Zaguán

  • Bradford Epley, NM Museum Resources Division Head of Conservation | Conservation and Contested Monuments | The Edwin Brooks House

  • Lisa Nordstrum, Santa Fe Prep Teacher and Co-Creator of NM Historic Women Marker Program Curriculum | Mara Saxer, Preservation Trades Professional | Historic Women of New Mexico | Olive Rush Memorial Studio and Art Center

  • Jana Gottshalk | Curator | History of the Spanish Colonial Arts Society and Museum Ethics and Curation | Nuevo Mexicano Heritage Arts Museum

  • Jeff Pappas | State Historic Preservation Officer | The Impact and Implications of Historic Preservation and a Case Study on Duran, New Mexico | El Zaguán

APPLY FOR THE FELLOWSHIP - APPLICATIONS FOR THE 2025-2026 FELLOWSHIP NOW OPEN

HSFF welcomes applicants from diverse backgrounds. HSFF provides equal opportunity to all prospective fellows and does not discriminate because of an applicant’s race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or any other factor irrelevant to the fellowship. If a fellow requires accommodations, they should contact HSFF’s Education Programs and Publications Manager Hanna Churchwell at hanna@historicsantafe.org to initiate this process.

Application Requirements
High School Fellowships are awarded to 11th and 12th graders enrolled in Santa Fe, Los Alamos, San Miguel, and potentially Mora and Taos counties. Students must be in good academic standing with a minimum GPA of 3.0. Those interested in the Fellowship must fill out an application; although, filling out an application does not guarantee a spot in the Fellowship. The application process is competitive, and Fellows will be selected based on their demonstrated interest and ability to complete all of the required elements of the program (meetings, capstone, presentation, discussion leader, etc.). A maximum of 8 Fellows will be accepted into the program.

Applications for 2025-2026 are open now. Fill out the application online and email the writing sample and letter of recommendation to hanna@historicsantafe.org, or mail to or drop off at: 545 Canyon Road, Suite 2.

The application consists of several short answer questions. Submission of a writing sample and letter of recommendation from a secondary teacher or guidance counselor is also required for a complete application. Applications close June 30, 2025.

Request additional information and/or send your completed application packet to:
Hanna Churchwell, Education Programs and Publications Manager
Historic Santa Fe Foundation
545 Canyon Road, Suite 2
Santa Fe, NM 87501
hanna@historicsantafe.org

GRADUATED FELLOWS

To receive a payment request form for eligible educational expenses please email HSFF Education Programs and Publications Manager at hanna@historicsantafe.org.

Click the above image to download the Fellowship brochure.