Frequently Asked Questions
Am I eligible to participate in National History Day? The National History Day contest is open to all students in grades 6-12. All types of students participate in NHD--public, private, parochial and home-school students; urban, suburban and rural students; academically gifted and average students, and students with special needs.
There are two divisions of competition: junior and senior. There are seven categories of entries for each division: individual exhibit, group exhibit, individual documentary, group documentary, individual performance, group performance, individual paper, and website.
Winning students in district competitions may move on to state competitions, and the top two entries in each category and division at state contests are eligible to participate in the national contest.
What am I required to do to participate in NHD? Students choose a history topic related to NHD's annual contest theme, conduct extensive research over the course of the school year, and create performances, documentaries, papers, exhibits, or websites which they may enter in competition at the district, state and national level. Click here for more information on starting a project.
How many students and teachers participate in National History Day? Nationwide, 500,000 students and 30,000 teachers anually participate in National History Day programs. More than 2,000 students from across the country attend the national contest (from 48 states, the District of Columbia, Department of Defense Schools, American Samoa, and Guam).
When is National History Day? Every day is National History Day! NHD is a year-long program that culminates in a national contest in June in College Park, Md.
Why call it National History Day? NHD started as a small contest in Cleveland in 1974. Members of the history department at Case Western Reserve University developed the initial idea for a history contest to make teaching and learning history a fun and exciting experience. Students gathered on campus to devote one day to history. They called it "National History Day." Although the name has remained the same, NHD has grown into a national organization with year-round programs and a week-long national contest.
Is National History Day just a contest? NHD is more than a contest; it is reforming the way history is taught and learned. The contest provides teachers with an innovative teaching tool and fosters students' enthusiasm for learning. In addition to the contest, NHD offers teacher workshops, summer teacher institutes, curricular materials and other resources for educators.
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