This year, National History Day isn’t just commemorating history — it’s making history, with the celebration of its own 50th anniversary.
On Saturday, March 9, National History Day-Orange County will welcome nearly 350 students from 29 schools for its golden jubilee at Sierra Vista Middle School in Irvine. Coordinated by the Orange County Department of Education, the event will showcase more than 180 projects, ranging from websites and posters to documentaries, performances and even podcasts.
Across the U.S., National History Day engages about half a million students annually with contests at the county, state and national levels, inspiring deep and thoughtful explorations of the past.
As you may have guessed by now, NHD goes way beyond a single day. Young historians from grades four through 12 actually spend months researching and developing projects based on an annual theme, working as individuals or in teams.
This year’s theme is “Turning Points in History,” which encourages the examination of events, ideas or actions that have significantly influenced the course of history.
Inspiring a love for history
NHD-OC Coordinators Julie Hull and Dr. Virginia Reischl from OCDE’s Education Services division kicked off this year’s activities by hosting a showcase and question-and-answer session back in August. Then it was time to get to work — with the help of the many teacher-coaches who support the program at area schools.
“My favorite part of the NHD process is explaining the difference between NHD and every other project they complete in school, how important research is and the key to success is in the revisions,” said Jonathan Millers, a coach from Sierra Vista Middle School.
“I love seeing my students submit work for revisions and then resubmit a new draft the very next day because they are so interested in what they are doing,” he added. “NHD has the unique ability to inspire 12- and 13-year-olds to love history and will continue to play an integral role in my success as a teacher.”
Like Millers, Jon Pang of Lakeside Middle School in the Irvine Unified School District and Fred Morris of Shorecliffs Middle School in Capistrano Unified are among the coaches who have long been dedicated to guiding students through the program. According to Hull, both have announced plans to retire this year, meaning the 50th NHD will be their final competition.
‘It turned my life around’
A panel of volunteer judges from the county’s education and business communities has been assembled to review all entries with an eye on critical thinking, research skills and historical understanding. The deadline to submit documentaries, websites and podcasts for judging was Feb. 20.
You may be surprised to learn that one of the earliest NHD participants was renowned chef and television personality Guy Fieri, who credits the experience with sparking his academic interest. His project, which focused on the history of the pretzel and pushcarts, won at the state level and competed nationally.
“It turned my life around,” Fieri says in a recent NHD publication. “It’s the idea of letting your kids flourish and bringing them to these events, and helping them.”
The March 9 contest will be followed by an awards ceremony four days later on March 13 at the Orange County Holocaust Education Center in Newport Beach. Champions at the county level will then go on to compete at National History Day-California April 19 through April 21 at California State University, Sacramento.
The NHD National Contest will take place June 9 through June 13 at the University of Maryland, College Park.
For more details about the National History Day-Orange County competition, or to learn how to participate or contribute, visit the NHD-OC website or send an email to NHDinfo@ocde.us.