Act Locally: Support National History Day

[smccormack]

On April 26th I had the honor of being a judge at Rhode Island History Day, a regional qualifying event for National History Day, which seeks to engage students in grades 6-12 in history education through research, presentations and performances. The program’s website defines their mission as “Studying the past to inform the present and shape the future.” 

After twenty-five years of teaching college students, the exposure to middle and high school-level historical research was nothing short of invigorating. In addition to experiencing the vibrant energy of younger students, History Day was a reminder to me that a good chunk of the motivation to learn for young people comes from the contagious enthusiasm of teachers. Every student I spoke with identified a specific teacher from their school whose excitement about studying history had motivated them to undertake historical research. The experience was a reminder of the importance of my own enthusiasm in the classroom, but also the need to foster that energy amongst today’s college students – not necessarily to create a room full of history majors but to encourage engagement with history outside of the confines of course requirements. 

Rhode Island History Day participants studied everything from civil rights activism amongst black Americans and LGBTQ+ groups to the alliance system in the era of the World Wars. Some of the projects focused on local issues specific to RI cities and towns, while others examined the better-known histories of Roger Williams and Anne Hutchinson in the state. Nearly every student I spoke to completed the research in addition to classroom assignments. In other words, they were motivated by their teachers to do historical research on their own time as an extracurricular activity. 

The future of National History Day will no doubt be impacted by cuts to federal grants to the National Endowment for the Humanities. If you’re interested in being part of your state/region’s activities, please visit Find Your Local Affiliate - National History Day to identify the non-profit organization that works with students in your community. Get involved as a judge, an organizer, or a mentor. Participation is one small way that we as history faculty can provide support for those in K-12 who are working hard to educate the students who will populate our college classrooms in the future!