
STUDENTS EARN NATIONAL HONORS AT NATIONAL HISTORY DAY® CONTEST

WHO: National History Day in New Mexico Students and Educators
WHAT: National History Day Contest
WHERE: College Park, M.D.
WHEN: June 8–12, 2025
CONTACT: New Mexico History Day State Coordinator, Stephanie Wilson

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We’re thrilled to share that New Mexico students brought home top honors from the 2025 National History Day® (NHD) contest in College Park, Maryland! Out of approximately 3000 finalists from around the world, New Mexico students placed in the Top Ten in three national categories, and earned two standout awards: History of Place and Indigenous History.
From a documentary on the Exxon Valdez spill to a paper examining witchcraft accusations in Colonial Nueva España, students delivered powerful, well-researched projects aligned with this year’s theme, Rights and Responsibilities in History. One student earned national recognition for work on the Rwandan genocide, while another received honors for a performance spotlighting Olympic trailblazer, Liz Hartel.
Among the many highlights, two students whose projects were named Outstanding Entries at the Junior and Senior levels, an honor reserved for standout work representing our state.
We’re equally excited to welcome new NHD teachers from Las Cruces, Farmington, and Rio Rancho who joined the program this academic year, helping to expand opportunities for students across our state.
A heartfelt thank-you goes out to our volunteer judges who supported students throughout the contest season and helped them refine their work into strong quality projects. We also thank our partner, the New Mexico Department of Cultural affairs for their ongoing support of our History Day program.
To all our students and educators, congratulations! Your work continues to inspire us all.



NATIONAL HISTORY DAY
EVENTS, NEWS, AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

NHD IN NM NORTHERN AND CENTRAL REGIONAL CONTESTS
National History Day in New Mexico contest season is here underway! The Southeastern Regional took place at Eastern New Mexico University in Portales and the Southern Regional was hosted by Western New Mexico University in Silver City, N.M. in February. Upcoming contests include: Northern Regional…

NHD IN NM SOUTHERN AND SOUTHEASTERN REGIONAL CONTESTS
Calling all students grades 6–12 — Or anyone interested in National History Day!

NHD LIBRARY DAYS
The COVID-19 pandemic took a significant toll on the NHD in NM program, and “Library Days” seemed like a thing of the past. This year, however, the NHD in NM team was determined to bring them back, recognizing how vital these hands-on research opportunities are for students. With library visits now…
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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 and 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.