In 1885, five indomitable, foresighted women, their bustles in place, met in the old Plymouth Congregational Church, 5th & Grand Avenue, to form what is now the Des Moines Women’s Club. Since its early years, the Des Moines Women’s Club has provided strong support for the arts in central Iowa. The DMWC annually awards scholarships to graduating high school seniors, college students, and students pursuing higher education degrees.
The Des Moines Women’s Club Literature Scholarship is open to registered students or residents of central Iowa (Polk, Boone, Dallas, Jasper, Madison, Marion, Story, or Warren Counties) and is awarded to a graduating high school senior of any gender pursuing a major or minor degree in Language and Literature, Language Arts, Journalism, Writing or Language Education. Applicants may apply for only one Des Moines Women’s Club scholarship per year and must submit one poem, one short story, and a short biographical essay including future writing goals.