NATIONAL HISTORY DAY
Helping student historians and their teachers study the past to inform the present and shape the future.
New Mexico’s National History Day program is a year-long academic competition for students in grades 6 through 12 that promotes inquiry, research into primary sources, and presentation. It aligns with the New Mexico state social studies standards that were implemented in 2023 and allows students to pursue their passions.
At the beginning of the school year, students choose a topic that fits into the national theme. The theme for 2024-25 is Rights and Responsibilities in History, and past themes have included Turning Points in History; Frontiers in History: People, Places, Ideas and Debate and Diplomacy in History: Successes, Failures, Consequences. These broad themes allow students to study a variety of subjects from ancient to modern times and international to local people and events.
Under the guidance of their teachers, students research their topic and develop a project—a documentary, exhibit, paper, performance, or website. Students may work individually or in groups of two to five (except for paper, which is only individual). Because they choose their own topic of study, students become experts on, and often enthusiastic advocates for, their subjects.
If your school is looking at adopting the National History Day program and you would like more information, please contact the New Mexico History Day team.
New Mexico has three National History Day regions: South, Central and Northwest. Each of these regions has its own coordinator, who helps recruit schools and teachers for the program and assists with organizing the regional contest.
Starting in the spring, students compete in a series of contests at their school, in the region and at the state level. Adult judges at these contests are trained on National History Day’s extensive rubric, and provide feedback to the students to help them improve their projects and their study of history.
The top entries in each category from the regional contests qualify for the state contest.
The top two winners in each category from the state contest advance to the national contest in June.
National History Day in New Mexico provides resources for teachers, such as workshops and training, as well as for students, such as links to experts on various subjects in New Mexico history. Please check out some of these resources below.
REGISTRATION INFORMATION, DEADLINES AND UPCOMING EVENTS
At the beginning of each school year, teachers, students, and parents begin a new chapter of National History Day by launching into a new and exciting theme. Registration information for this school year will be posted when the new cycle begins. Please review these posts for more information.
CURRENT NEWS, ANNOUNCEMENTS AND CONTEST WINNERS
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CELEBRATE AND LEARN ABOUT DIVERSE CULTURAL HISTORIES YEAR-ROUND
2025 THEME TOPIC INSPIRATION
Watch these taped workshops from the 2023 NHD National Contest to inspire ideas for the 2025 Rights and Responsibilities in History in History NHD theme.
2024 - 2025 THEME:
RIGHTS & RESPONSIBILITIES IN HISTORY
To celebrate our 50th anniversary, NHD’s theme will be Rights & Responsibilities in History. This year’s theme invites you to consider questions of time and place, cause and effect, change over time, and impact and significance. The key to this theme is addressing both rights and responsibilities. These are two powerful forces in history, but one does not work without the other. The following resources are available to start defining your topic and begin your research.
SCHOOLS PARTICIPATING THROUGHOUT NEW MEXICO
- Albuquerque Academy, in Albuquerque
- Alice King Community School, in Albuquerque
- Canyoncito Montessori School, in Los Alamos
- Cobre High, in Bayard
- Eagle Ridge Middle School, in Rio Rancho
- Explore Academy, in Rio Rancho
- Heights Middle School, in Farmington
- Hermosa Middle School, in Farmington
- Hope Christian School, in Albuquerque
- Immanuel Lutheran School, in Albuquerque
- La Plata Middle School, in Silver City
- Los Alamos High, in Los Alamos
- Mesa View Middle School, in Farmington
- Mesilla Valley Leadership Academy, in Las Cruces
- Moriarty High, in Moriarty
- Moriarty Middle School, in Moriarty
- Silver High School, in Silver City
- Tony Hillerman Middle School, in Albuquerque
- West Mesa High School, in Albuquerque
PAST NEWS, ANNOUNCEMENTS AND CONTEST WINNERS
