Truman to Host National History Day Regional Competition

 
Participating students will present original history projects, with judging and awards taking place in Baldwin Hall. The top projects from the Kirksville regional contest will advance to the state competition in Columbia, and from there students may qualify for the National History Day contest in Washington, D.C., this summer. 
 
Since its beginnings in 1974, National History Day has been an annual competition in which students in grades six through 12 develop history projects they present before judges. 
 
“For many students, this is their first experience presenting scholarly work in a university setting and participating in a nationally recognized academic competition,” said Jason McDonald, associate professor of history and co-coordinator of the event. “This is the first time Truman has hosted the regional contest in more than a decade. We see it as part of a broader effort to reestablish the event here and build a sustained connection between Truman and local schools.” 
 
The theme for this year’s contest is “Revolution, Reaction, Reform in History.” Details about the topic and the scoring guidelines for the contest can be found online at nhd.org. 
 
Students can participate either as an individual or in a group through their schools. Submissions can be made now until Feb. 13. The top two entries in each category and division advance to the next round. 
 
Sign up can be completed online at mo-tsukrc.nhd.org. Regional coordinators McDonald (jasonmcd@truman.edu) and Josh Nudell (jnudell@truman.edu), assistant professor of history, are able to answer any questions about this event.