Judging is one of the most important aspects of the National History Day program, and it cannot be done without a large group of dedicated volunteers. What are the requirements to judge? Only a desire to support students. A background in history or education is helpful, but it is not necessary. New Mexico’s National History Day program will provide the training that judges need to understand the program.

Training consists of an online component to help familiarize judges with the detailed evaluation rubric provided by National History Day. In-person training the day of the contests goes over the role of the judges, ways to evaluate students, contest rules and other information necessary for a smooth contest. In 2023 / 2024, New Mexico NHD will also be providing half-day training workshops for teachers and potential judges.

Contest organizers work to put judges in their category of interest. For example, someone who has a background in theater may be most interested in judging performances, while a filmmaker might be most interested in judging documentaries. Middle school and high school students are judged separately, so those more comfortable providing feedback to older or younger students can also be accommodated.

Judges spend time before the contests evaluating students’ process papers (how they chose their topic and went about researching and creating the project) and their annotated bibliographies. The day of the contest, teams of three judges spend about 15 minutes evaluating each entry and interviewing the students about their work. Then, after enjoying a hearty lunch, they provide feedback on the students’ evaluation forms and rank the entries.