National History Day
The National History Day Competition is a transformative learning experience for middle and high school students in which they learn about history hands-on by creating projects centered around a theme. Through months of research using primary and secondary sources, students create and present a presentation in one of five formats: paper, exhibit, documentary, performance, or website.
History Day is now written into the MCPS curriculum for 7th grade advanced learners. As a result, the number of young people participating has exploded from a few hundred to over 4,000!
This year’s theme is “Rights & Responsibilities in History.” MCPS students who compete at the school level and are chosen to go onto the county level will compete at Sligo Middle School in Silver Spring. Winners will then advance to the state level and those winners will advance to the national competition held at the University of Maryland, College Park.
History Day judging is a one day commitment from 8:00 AM – 2:00 PM on Saturday, March 8, 2025. This timeframe includes an orientation to the judging process, the evaluation of students’ research and presentation, and time to draft comments. Judges have a profound impact by providing an opportunity for students to discuss their work and receive feedback from an outside resource. Volunteers also have a tremendous amount of fun in the process. Snacks and lunch will be provided to all volunteers.
No previous experience is necessary–only a love of history!
Sign up as a judge by clicking here.
More information will be sent after registration. Please contact Matt Gagle if you have any questions.
If you’d like to become a sponsor of the local History Day competition, please contact Matthew Logan, Executive Director.