Indiana Humanities becomes affiliate for National History Day 

Indiana Humanities is the new home for National History Day®, a program that has existed across the country for the past 52 years to engage students in grades 6 through 12 in historical research. 

For nearly 50 years, Indiana has participated in National History Day (NHD), a program that gets middle- and high-school students involved in uncovering and sharing history and that develops their skills in research, critical thinking, writing, and public speaking. NHD features annual student competitions carried out at the local, regional, statewide, and national levels and supports teachers through curriculum assistance, programmatic materials, and professional development.  

“We are grateful to partner with Indiana Humanities to ensure Indiana students and educators have continued access to the National History Day program in their state,” said NHD Executive Director, Dr. Cathy Gorn. “It is uplifting to see the Indiana historical community unite to support this cause. We are excited to continue the NHD program in Indiana and see how Indiana Humanities’ expertise will allow the program to grow and thrive across the state.” 

NHD invites more than half a million students globally to complete historical research projects in one of five categories: documentary, exhibit, paper, performance, or website. After completing their research and designing a project, students compete in a series of contests beginning at the local level. The top students from across the country advance to the annual National Contest for cash prizes ranging from $250 to $2,000 and special prizes from a variety of sponsors.  

“National History Day offers students essential life skills and experiences that will only benefit them in their future endeavors, and it was important to us to make sure that this opportunity remained available,” said Megan Telligman, director of programs at Indiana Humanities. “Withexperience facilitating conversations about history through the years, we feel well-positioned to take this on and are excited to connect with the students, teachers, and volunteers who really make NHD possible.” 

Indiana has a rich association with NHD; it was the second state to join the program (NHD now takes place in all 50 states and seven territories), serving more than 5,000 students statewide eachyear. 

For more information about Indiana’s chapter of NHD, visit: https://indianahumanities.org/program/nhd/