![Graphic which reads: "National History Day 2023 Frontiers in History: People, Places, Ideas"](https://newmexicohumanities.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/NMHC-NHD-2023-Frontiers-in-history-web30.jpg)
NEW MEXICO NATIONAL HISTORY DAY STATE CONTEST APRIL 15TH AT UNM
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WHO: High school and mid-school students from around the state
WHAT: New Mexico National History Day State Contest
WHERE: Dane Smith Hall at the University of New Mexico. The awards ceremony will be in Woodward Hall.
WHEN: Saturday, April 15 beginning 9 a.m. The awards ceremony will be at 3 p.m.
CONTACT: New Mexico History Day State Coordinator, Heather McClenahan, HistoryDay@NMHumanities.org.
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After 3 years of hosting National History Day virtually, nearly 200 mid- and high school students from across the state will gather in person on Saturday, April 15th, at the University of New Mexico to compete in the New Mexico National History Day contest.
National History Day is not just a day. It’s a year-long academic program where students choose a topic, conduct research, develop a historical argument or thesis, and create a presentation. They turn their research into projects — a documentary, exhibit, paper, performance, or website — and display them to adult judges in a series of contests from the classroom to the national level. The top two places in every category from the state contest will compete at the national contest at the University of Maryland in June.
“National History Day allows students to delve into stories that they care about and produce quality projects that they can share with others,” says state coordinator Heather McClenahan.
Each year NHD has a theme to guide students’ research. This year’s theme is Frontiers in History: People, Places, Ideas. Students participating in the state contest have chosen topics that range from the Manhattan Project, Santa Fe Trail Pioneer Susan Magoffin, and steam engines to chile farming and novelist Agatha Christie.
In addition to the great work of the students, New Mexico’s NHD teachers of the year will be recognized, and teacher Amy Page of Moriarty High School, who won the national senior teacher of the year award in 2022, will be honored.
A Chautauqua performance by VanAnn Moore as Jessie Benton Fremont will be held before the award ceremony starting at 1:30pm.
With its focus on inquiry, primary source research, and presentation, National History Day aligns with the new state social studies standards that go into effect for the 2023-24 school year. Teachers or school administrators who are interested in learning more should contact state coordinator Heather McClenahan, HistoryDay@NMHumanities.org, for more information.
In New Mexico, the National History Day program is managed by the New Mexico Humanities Council with support from volunteers, the University of New Mexico, and the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs, including the Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum and the National Hispanic Cultural Center.
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2022 - 2023 THEME:
FRONTIERS IN HISTORY: PEOPLE, PLACES, IDEAS
People, places, and ideas can all be frontiers. The 2023 theme invites consideration of time and place, cause and effect, change over time, and impact and significance. Students were encouraged to select topics in history where a frontier has been crossed. Once a frontier is crossed, history changes. In addition to geography, frontiers encompass topics in the history of science, art, technology, medicine, religion, politics, social change, or the military.
![Logo for National History Day](https://newmexicohumanities.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/NHD-Logo-new-web30.jpg)
NATIONAL HISTORY DAY
EVENTS, NEWS, AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
![Photo of Amy Page leading a teacher workshop. The screen at the front has a photo of Barbie and reads, "Barbie: Equality Rights and Marketing Responsibilities"](https://newmexicohumanities.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/NHD-TeacherWorkshop2024-web30.jpg)
NATIONAL HISTORY DAY IN NEW MEXICO TEACHER WORKSHOP
What happens when educators from across New Mexico come together to ignite a passion for history in their students? The answer lies in the success of the New Mexico Humanities Council’s (NMHC) recent “National History Day (NHD) in New Mexico Teacher Workshop.” Led by Amy Page, 2022 NHD Teacher…
![Three students at the NHD Nationals awards ceremony, dressed as and holding inflatable chile peppers.](https://newmexicohumanities.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/NMHC-NHD-Nationals-2024-Newsletter-web30.jpg)
NATIONAL HISTORY DAY 2024 NATIONAL CONTEST
The NMHC is proud to announce the successful conclusion of National History Day in New Mexico, 2024 celebrating “Turning Points in History.” Fifty-eight students, from New Mexico, attended the contest at the University of Maryland June 9-13, 2024 with their teachers, parents, guardians, and families…
![the NHD in NM State Contest 2024 winners, with text: "Going to NHD Nationals!"](https://newmexicohumanities.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/NMHC-NHD-State-Winners-2024-Going-to-Nationals-web30.jpg)
NATIONAL HISTORY DAY NATIONAL CONTEST
The National History Day (NHD) National Contest “is the culmination of the annual competition cycle and a celebration of student scholarship. After spending months on project research and preparation, and successfully competing at local and affiliate contests, student scholars are invited to…
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NATIONAL HISTORY DAY
Helping student historians and their teachers study the past to inform the present and shape the future.
ABOUT NATIONAL HISTORY DAY® (NHD):
NHD is a non-profit organization based in College Park, Maryland, that seeks to improve the teaching and learning of history. The National History Day Contest was established in 1974 and currently engages more than half a million students every year in conducting original research on historical topics of interest. Students present their research as a documentary, exhibit, paper, performance, or website. Projects compete first at the local and affiliate levels, where the top entries are invited to the National Contest at the University of Maryland at College Park. NHD is sponsored in part by, HISTORY®, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the National Park Service, Southwest Airlines, the Crown Family Foundation, The Better Angels Society, the Pritzker Military Museum & Library, and the Diana Davis Spencer Foundation. For more information, visit NHD.org.
ABOUT NATIONAL HISTORY DAY® IN NEW MEXICO:
History Day in New Mexico is open to elementary, middle, and high school students statewide. The program is organized and sponsored by the New Mexico Humanities Council. NMHC offers online and in-person professional development for teachers as well as student events.