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A B O U T

About Section Highlights:

• 2008 National Contest Winners
• When is National History Day?

National History Day Mission

The future of democracy depends on an inspired, thoughtful and informed citizenry. Historical understanding is crucial to that process. National History Day teaches essential historical literacy that motivates students to secure the future of democracy.

Learn more about NHD by watching our introductory video, reading about our history and programs, or contacting an NHD official in your area.

What is National History Day?

National History Day (NHD) is a highly regarded academic organization for elementary and secondary school students.

Each year, more than half a million students, encouraged by thousands of teachers nationwide participate in the NHD contest. Students choose historical topics related to a theme and conduct extensive primary and secondary research through libraries, archives, museums, oral history interviews and historic sites. After analyzing and interpreting their sources and drawing conclusions about their topics’ significance in history, students present their work in original papers, websites, exhibits, performances and documentaries. These products are entered into competitions in the spring at local, state and national levels where they are evaluated by professional historians and educators. The program culminates in a national competition each June held at the University of Maryland at College Park.

In addition to discovering the exciting world of the past, NHD also helps students develop the following attributes that are critical for future success:

critical thinking and problem-solving skills
research and reading skills
oral and written communication and presentation skills
self esteem and confidence
a sense of responsibility for and involvement in the democratic process

More than 5 million students have gone on to careers in business, law, medicine and countless other disciplines where they are putting into practice what they learned through NHD.

"I wish I had been able to participate in National History Day when I was in school. What a great way to get kids excited about history, research and the mechanics of composing a story. NHD students today are so sophisticated about their work. I might just have to snag a few of these young documentary experts for my next production!" - Ken Burns

0119 Cecil Hall University of Maryland College Park, MD 20742 p 301.314.9739

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