Two scholarships are available for college students majoring in art, architecture or related disciplines to attend the annual North Dakota Historic Preservation Conference May 2-4 at the International Peace Garden.

The scholarships cover conference registration fees, lodging and meals during the three-day event.

The annual conference is sponsored by Preservation North Dakota, the state's private, nonprofit coalition for historic preservation.

The 2008 Conference theme is "Preserving Prairie Places in the Heart of North America." Session topics include the history of the International Peace Garden and the history of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa, writing National Register/Heritage Designation nominations and many others.

There also will be heritage tours of North Dakota Prairie Churches and the Boissevain, Manitoba historic district.

The scholarships are available through the Rurik Ekstrom Scholarship Fund. The scholarship was created in 2005 by family and friends in honor of Rurik Ekstrom, board member and past president of Preservation North Dakota. He served as professor and chairman of the Department of Architecture and Landscape Architecture at North Dakota State University at Fargo.

Students may apply for the Rurik Ekstrom Historic Preservation Scholarship by completing the online application at www.prairieplaces.org/scholarship.cfm.

The deadline for applications is April 1.

For information, contact executive director Dale Bentley, Preservation North Dakota, P.O. Box 28, Buffalo, N.D. 58011-0028, or call 633-2763.