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MARYLAND – June 13, 2024 -- Eight California entries were named national champions at the 50th Annual National History Day Contest held at the University of Maryland College Park Campus in the Washington, D.C. area June 9-13. In addition, eight California entries were named finalists, seven received honorable mention, two entries were named Outstanding In State, and one entry was selected for a special award.
More than 2,600 students from 50 states and 3 international affiliates participated in the contest. $150,000 in scholarships are awarded at the awards ceremony, and approximately 100 students took home cash prizes between $250 and $5,000 for superior work in a particular category of judging.
View contest photos here
Teacher Awards
Aditi Doshi from Van Nuys High School in Los Angeles County was selected as the winner of the 2024 NHD Patricia Behring Teacher of the Year Award for the Senior Division. Aditi was selected from a pool of 54 nominees and will receive a $10,000 prize.
Chuck Diep from Roger Temple Intermediate School in Los Angeles County was honored as a California nominee for the Patricia Behring Teacher of the Year Junior Division and will receive a $500 prize.
The Patricia Behring National History Day Teacher of the Year Award honors teachers who engage History Day students in historical thinking through innovative teaching and active learning strategies.
National Contest - Team California Results
NATIONAL CHAMPIONS - MEDALISTS
The following entries were recognized as overall 1st - 3rd place winners of NHD.
1st Place – Junior Group Documentary: Poiema Bernier, Lucas Menendez
Acaciawood Preparatory Academy, Orange County. Teacher – Karen Kayekjian & Noemi Quinones
Title – Rising from the Ashes: The Cuyahoga River a Turning Point in American Environmental Policy
1st Place – Senior Group Exhibit: Emily Yi, Samantha Bailey
Orange County School of the Arts, Orange County. Teacher – Lana Sawalha
Title – Nauseating a Nation: How the Jungle Turned the Stomach of America into Legislation
1st Place –Senior Individual Performance: Supriti Bhopale
Carlmont High School, San Mateo County. Teacher – Greg Schoenstein
Title – Satyagraha: King's Embrace of Nonviolence Becomes a Turning Point in the Civil Rights Struggle
2nd Place – Junior Individual Performance: Audrey Kim
Sierra Vista Middle School, Orange County. Teachers – Jonathan Millers & Lianne Linck
Title – MacArthur’s Bold Gambit: How Operation Chromite Became a Pivotal Turning Point in the Korean War and Shaped NATO's Inception
2nd Place – Junior Group Exhibit: Emily Huang, Megan Phan, Hilary Hung
Roger W. Temple Intermediate School, Los Angeles County. Teacher –Chuck Diep
Title – “To the hip hip hop-a you don’t stop”: Turning the Tables on Music History
2nd Place – Senior Group Website: Adviti Aleti, Stuthi Kandula
Dougherty Valley High School, Contra Costa County. Teacher – Andrew Wengel
Title – The Pentagon Papers: A Turning Point in Public Perception & Press
3rd Place – Senior Historical Paper: Aaron Widjaja
Menlo School, San Mateo County. Teacher – Franco Cruz-Ochoa
Title – The Golden Age of Buddhism: How Imperial Patronage in the Early Tang Dynasty Fueled Buddhism’s Ascendency in China
3rd Place – Senior Individual Documentary: Harmony Yan-Li
Irvine High School, Orange County. Teacher – Jennifer Harrington
Title – Turning Points in History: Frances Kelsey and the Thalidomide Scandal
CONTEST FINALIST
The following entries were 1st in preliminary judging heats and advanced to final round judging.
4th Place – Junior Individual Exhibit: Yesha Gupta
Sierra Vista Middle School, Orange County. Teachers – Jonathan Millers & Lianne Linck
Title – When the Computer Wore a Skirt: Christine Darden
5th Place – Senior Group Performance: Matthew Pitcher Cate, Chielpegian, Violet Mack, Mason Pitcher, Kyle Mrkaich
Edison High School, Fresno County. Teacher – Gary Mrkaich
Title – Abortion: A Turning Point Consequence Far Greater than the Slaughter of the Innocents
5th Place – Senior Group Documentary: Selah El Issa, Jimena Romero
Sanger High School, Fresno County. Teacher – Austin Rurik
Title – Forging a Superpower: How the Truman Doctrine Defined a Legacy
6th Place – Junior Historical Paper: Augusta Chen
The Harker School, Santa Clara County. Teacher – Ramsay Westgate
Title – Women Where They Belong: Title IX as a Turning Point for Girls and Women in American Sports and Society
6th Place – Senior Individual Exhibit: Felix Chen
The Harker School, Santa Clara County. Teacher – Byron Stevens
Title – “The Very Bulwark of our Republic”: The Common School Movement as a Turning Point in American History
7th Place – Junior Individual Exhibit: Henry Wiechmann
Sierra Vista Middle School, Orange County. Teachers – Jonathan Millers & Lianne Linck
Title – East L.A. Walkouts: Launching a Movement
7th Place – Junior Group Website: Shreya Hegde, Christine Jeon
Sierra Vista Middle School, Orange County. Teacher – Jonathan Millers & Lianne Linck
Title – A Turning Point in Immigration: How the Transcontinental Railroad Affected the Chinese
8th Place – Junior Group Website: Shawn Castrapel, Saanvi Chaparala, Sanay Chaparala, Daniel Cheng, Crystal Zhou
Sierra Vista Middle School, Orange County. Teacher – Jonathan Millers & Lianne Linck
Title – A Turning Point to Co-existence: How Silent Spring Led to the Reevaluation of Humanity's Relationship with the Environment
HONORABLE MENTION
Received 2nd place in preliminary judging room.
Honorable Mention – Junior Individual Documentary: Mahima Wuppalapati
Beacon Park K-8 School, Orange County. Teacher – Christina Ralston
Title – Beyond the Scalpel: Laparoscopic Surgery and Its Revolutionary Impact on Modern Medicine
Honorable Mention – Junior Individual Documentary: Vincent Tang
El Cerrito Middle School, Riverside County. Teacher – Steven Case
Title – The Game Changer: Marvin Miller | Turning Point in Labor-Management Relations
Honorable Mention – Junior Group Exhibit: Haidar Alkhafaf, Michael Wang
Sierra Vista Middle School. Orange County. Teacher – Jonathan Millers & Lianne Linck
Title – Newlands Resolution: The Road to American Imperialism; A Political Economic and Cultural Turning Point
Honorable Mention – Senior Individual Documentary: Felix Potter
Martin Luther King High School, Riverside County. Teacher – Kevin LeDuc
Title – Christine Jorgensen: A Forgotten Turning Point in Transgender History
Honorable Mention – Senior Group Performance: Dzifa Ackuayi, Saloni Bansal, Harman Chahal, Eve Youkana
Modesto High School, Stanislaus County. Teacher – David Tanaka
Title – Jacob Riis: A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words
Honorable Mention – Senior Individual Exhibit: Jocelyn Hanson
Clovis West High School, Fresno County. Teacher – Andy McElroy & Gabe Calderon
Title – Theodore Judah and the Transcontinental Railroad: A Turning Point in Transportation
Honorable Mention – Senior Individual Website: Ariel Liu
Dougherty Valley High School, Contra Costa County. Teacher – Andrew Wengel
Title – Citizenship by Birth - United States v. Wong Kim Ark
LATINO AMERICAN HISTORY SPECIAL AWARD
Junior Individual Exhibit: Henry Wiechmann
Sierra Vista Middle School, Orange County. Teachers – Jonathan Millers & Lianne Linck
Title – East L.A. Walkouts: Launching a Movement
OUTSTANDING IN STATE
Outstanding in State Senior Division– Senior Group Performance
Dzifa Ackuayi, Saloni Bansal, Harman Chahal, Eve Youkana
Modesto High School, Stanislaus County. Teacher – David Tanaka
Title – Jacob Riis: A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words
Outstanding in State Junior Division – Junior Group Performance
Gia Bui, Cristal Caro, Viv Vazquez, Giselle Padilla
Ray Wiltsey Middle School. San Bernardino County. Teacher – Angela Stephens & Vanessa Roman
Title – Institut National de Juenes Sourds de Paris: Giving Voice to the Voiceless
After months of intensive research and success at district and county-level competitions, champions were recognized in Sacramento on Sunday, April 21st at California State University Sacramento, concluding the 2024 National History Day—California state competition. More than 1,500 students participated, coming from 248 schools across 25 counties. Sixty-seven students will represent California at the National History Day competition taking place in College Park, Maryland June 9-13, 2024.
Contest Photos
Click here to view photos from the NHD-CA Contest.
Contest Winners
"Champions" in the Documentary, Exhibit, Performance, Historical Paper, & Website categories advance to the National History Day contest in June.
Elementary Division Champions & Runners Up
Junior Division Champions & Runners Up
Senior Division Champions & Runners Up
Contest Finalists
Junior and Senior Division projects that advanced to a final judging room.
CA Nominees for the "Patricia Behring Teacher of the Year" Award
Two educators from California have been nominated for the prestigious “Patricia Behring Teacher of the Year” award, a national honor for teachers who engage History Day students through innovative teaching and active learning strategies. The winners will be announced during the National History Day awards ceremony. California’s nominees are:
Aditi Doshi
Van Nuys High School, Los Angeles County
Senior Division (Grades 9–12)
Chuck Diep
Roger W. Temple Intermediate School, Los Angeles County
Junior Division (Grades 6–8)
History Day projects require students to use research, analysis, and historical thinking skills. Join us for this free, multi-part webinar series to introduce these skills to students and share tips on how to research and develop History Day projects.
- Sept. 20 - Research questions
- Sept. 28 - Primary & Secondary Sources and How to Use Them
- Oct. 18 - Crafting Compelling Thesis Statements
- Oct. 26 - Deconstructing a Project: Voice, Evidence, Organization
- Nov. 30 - How to Show Historical Significance
- Dec. 14 - Reviewing the Required Elements of a NHD Project
To watch the recordings, register here.
This webinar series is free and open to teachers, students, and parents.
Presenter Anne Olson - Instructional Coach, Sequoia Union High School District, member NHD-CA Leadership Team, NHD Alumni
This year's NHD Theme is "Turning Points in History". Learn more about the theme and check out a list of possible topics.
NHD-CA is hosting a Theme & Topic Webinar on Thursday, September 14th from 7:00-8:00 PM. Learn More Here.
CHANGES TO HISTORICAL PAPER CATEGORY
Beginning with contests in 2024, registration and submission of all historical papers will follow a different format from all other categories.
Historical papers will not compete at county contests. Instead, papers will be directly submitted to the state contest by your teacher. Each school will be allowed to submit up to 3 papers.
SIX CALIFORNIA ENTRIES EARN TOP HONORS AT NATIONAL HISTORY DAY
MARYLAND – June 15, 2023 -- After months of intensive research and success at district, county, and state-level competitions, six California entries earned top honors at the National History Day Contest held at the University of Maryland College Park Campus in the Washington, D.C. area June 11-15. In addition, ten California entries were named finalists, seven received honorable mention, two entries were named Outstanding In State, and one entry was selected for a special award.
More than 3,000 students from 50 states and 7 international affiliates participated in the contest. $150,000 in scholarships are awarded at the awards ceremony, and approximately 100 students took home cash prizes between $250 and $5,000 for superior work in a particular category of judging.
View contest photos here
Teacher Awards
Two California educators were nominated for the prestigious Patricia Behring National History Day Teacher of the Year Award, honoring teachers who engage History Day students in historical thinking through innovative teaching and active learning strategies. California nominees:
- Junior Division: Hector Gamboa, Orange County, Venado Middle School
- Senior Division: Michael Chatfield, Humboldt County, McKinleyville High School
National Contest - Team California Results
MEDALISTS
The following entries were recognized as overall 1st - 3rd place winners of NHD.
1st Place – Senior Individual Performance: Surabhi Khanna
Clovis North High School, Fresno County. Teacher – Sally Howe
Title - Deeds, Not Words: How Emmeline Pankhurst Expanded the Frontier of Women’s Rights
2nd Place – Junior Individual Performance: Ava George
Corona Fundamental Intermediate School, Riverside County. Teacher – Bandon Smith
Title - Virginia Hall: Crossing Gender Frontiers in Espionage and Intelligence
2nd Place – Junior Individual Website: Jacob Dinh
Venado Middle School, Orange County. Teachers – Hector Gamboa & John Beckman
Title - Artists and Activists: Jazz Musicians Leading the Civil Rights Movement
2nd Place – Senior Individual Documentary: Shea McGrath
Francis Parker School, San Diego County. Teachers – Mary Ong Dean & Joey Kurz
Title - Glen Canyon: Frontiers Opened, Paradise Flooded
2nd Place – Senior Group Website: Rachel Kim & Bernice Hung
Portola High School, Orange County. Teacher – Wind Ralston
Title - “There’s Blood on Those Grapes”: How the Delano Grape Strike Sprouted a Frontier for Working Conditions
3rd Place – Senior Group Documentary: Ritieka Kumar & Moksha Kolli
Northwood High School Orange County. Teacher – Deanna Myers
Title - The Man Who United Two Frontiers: How Fritz Haber Killed Millions and Nourished Billions
CONTEST FINALIST
The following entries were 1st in preliminary judging heats and advanced to final round judging.
4th Place – Junior Individual Website: Frankie Holland
Irvine Virtual Academy Middle School, Orange County. Teacher – Sandra Komara
Title - A Breath of Fresh Air: How California Became the Birthplace of Frontiers in Clean Air
4th Place – Junior Group Exhibit: Kellyn Chea, Haylee Pham & Chloe Rafanan
Temple Intermediate School, Los Angeles County. Teacher – Chuck Diep
Title - Home Invaders: Leveling Up the Gaming Frontier
4th Place – Senior Individual Exhibit: Emily Shin
Centennial High School, Riverside County. Teacher – Michael Nugent
Title - Blood Transfusion: A lifesaving Frontier in History
5th Place – Junior Group Website: Zixuan Cui, Yongjing Li & Isabelle Yang
Sierra Vista Middle School, Orange County. Teachers – Jonathan Millers & Lianne Linck
Title - Making the American Experience Visible: How Amy Tan’s Frontier Allowed Chinese-Americans Positive Representation in Western Media
5th Place – Senior Group Exhibit: Kayla Fu, Sol Kwak, Philip Park, Sean Yu
Northwood High School, Orange County. Teacher – Deanna Myers
Title – Maps to Apps: How the NAVSTAR GPS Advanced Frontiers in Satellite Navigation
6th Place – Junior Group Performance: Maryam Kayani, Hailey Woodruff, Ruth Rodrigues,
Isla Verde & Allison Williamson
Fruitvale Junior High School, Kern County. Teacher – Brenda Noel
Title - More Than A Girl Sniper: Lady Death
7th Place – Senior Group Website: Bhargav Shriram & Logan King
American High School, Alameda County. Teacher – Shriram Krishnan
Title - “Hope Will Never Be Silent.” Harvey Milk's Crusade for LGBTQ+ Rights
7th Place – Senior Historical Paper: Atishay Lalgudi
Evergreen Valley High School, Santa Clara County. Teacher – Geremy Goebel
Title - Portia of the Pacific: Clara Shortridge Foltz: and the Frontiers of Law
7th Place – Senior Group Exhibit: Devyn Harrison & Sydney Reed
Polytechnic High School, Riverside County. Teacher – Leticia Hilton
Title - Shooting for the Stars: The New Frontier Created by Guion Bluford
9th Place – Junior Individual Documentary: Mahima Wuppalapati
Beacon Park K-8 School, Orange County. Teacher – Jonathan Millers
Title - Germ Theory: How an Idea Revolutionized the Medical Field
9th Place – Junior Group Exhibit: Anna Cao & Jennica Alixes
Sierra Vista Middle School, Orange County. Teachers – Millers Jonathan & Lianne Linck
Title - 123 Sesame Street: The Frontier of Childhood Growth
HONORABLE MENTION
Received 2nd place in preliminary judging room.
Honorable Mention – Junior Historical Paper: Ishaan Kendale
Khan Lab School, Santa Clara County. Teachers – Kate Fiske & Derek Vanderpool
Title - The Land of Opportunity: How Indians Broke Frontiers and Became a Dominant Force in Silicon Valley
Honorable Mention – Junior Individual Documentary: Lauren Ho
Corona Fundamental Intermediate School, Riverside County. Teacher – Brandon Smith
Title - Penicillin: The Cure That Saved 3/4 Of Humanity -- And May Also Spell Its Doom
Honorable Mention – Junior Individual Performance: Matthew Parr
William Mendenhall Middle School, Alameda County. Teachers – Robbie See & Kevin Garcia
Title - The War of 1812: Frontiers of a Forgotten War
Honorable Mention – Junior Group Performance: Michelle Acosta‚ Arna Banerjee‚ Kaylee Kirk & Megan McGinthy
Alta Sierra Intermediate School, Fresno County. Teacher – Debbie Hodge
Title - The Women's Army Corps: How Females WACked Their Way Through an Age-Old Military and Gender Frontier
Honorable Mention – Junior Individual Exhibit: Julietta Hutt
Sierra Madre Middle School, Los Angeles County. Teacher – Lisabet Nepf
Title - Marie Tharp: Redefining “Girl Talk”
Honorable Mention – Junior Group Website: Ansh Gosain & Matthew Lee
Sierra Vista Middle School, Orange County. Teachers – Millers Jonathan & Lianne Linck
Title - Negotiating Identity at the Frontier: The Role of the Carlisle School in Cultural Assimilation
Honorable Mention – Senior Historical Paper: Carey Chang
San Francisco University High School, San Francisco County. Teacher – Jennifer Lee
Title - Mary Scranton and Ewha School: A Frontier of Western Protestant Missionaries and Korean Women’s Education
ASIAN AMERICAN SPECIAL AWARD
Junior Group Website: Zixuan Cui, Yongjing Li & Isabelle Yang
Sierra Vista Middle School, Orange County. Teachers – Jonathan Millers & Lianne Linck
Title - Making the American Experience Visible: How Amy Tan’s Frontier Allowed Chinese-Americans Positive Representation in Western Media
OUTSTANDING IN STATE
Outstanding in State Senior Division – Senior Group Performance
Sushant Bhopale & Supriti Bhopale
Carlmont High School, San Mateo County. Teacher – Suvarna Bhopale
Title - Not Quite White: Pioneer Thind Navigates Racism in the Immigration Frontier
Outstanding in State Junior Division – Junior Group Website
Zixuan Cui, Yongjing Li & Isabelle Yang
Sierra Vista Middle School, Orange County. Teachers - Jonathan Millers & Lianne Linck
Title - Making the American Experience Visible: How Amy Tan’s Frontier Allowed Chinese-Americans Positive Representation in Western Media
After months of intensive research and success at district and county-level competitions, champions were recognized in Sacramento on Sunday, April 16th at California State University Sacramento, concluding the 2023 National History Day—California state competition. More than 1,400 students participated, coming from 244 schools across 24 counties. Sixty-two students will represent California at the National History Day competition taking place in College Park, Maryland June 11-15, 2023.
Contest Photos
Click here to view photos from the contest.
Contest Winners
"Champions" in the Documentary, Exhibit, Performance, Historical Paper, & Website categories advance to the National History Day contest that will be held online in June.
Elementary Division Champions & Runners Ups
Junior & Senior Division Winners
Contest Finalists
Junior and Senior Division projects that advanced to a final judging room.
CA Nominees for the "Patricia Behring Teacher of the Year" Award
Two educators from California have been nominated for the prestigious “Patricia Behring Teacher of the Year” award, a national honor for teachers who engage History Day students through innovative teaching and active learning strategies. The winners will be announced during the National History Day awards ceremony. California’s nominees are:
Michael Chatfield
McKinleyville High School, Humboldt County
Senior Division (Grades 9–12)
Hector Gamboa
Venado Middle School, Orange County
Junior Division (Grades 6–8)
The 2023 NHD-CA state contest will take place April 14-16, 2023 at Sacramento State University. Champion entries from each county will advance to the state contest to determine the state champions. To learn more go to NHD-CA State Finals
SACRAMENTO, CA - In an effort to enhance historical education and expand opportunities for California's students, National History Day California (NHD-CA) has announced a new partnership with California State University Sacramento (Sac State).
This partnership will bring together two organizations with a shared mission to promote history education and cultivate the next generation of historians. NHD-CA is a non-profit organization administered by the Sacramento County Office of Education that provides K-12 students with opportunities to engage in historical research, while Sac State is a leading institution for higher education in California, with a strong commitment to promoting historical education.
The partnership with California State University Sacramento will enable National History Day California to expand its resources and reach more students across the state. The university will provide support and guidance to students participating in National History Day events and serve as the host for the annual state contest held each spring.
According to Dr. Jeffrey Wilson, Department Chair of the History Department at California State University Sacramento, the partnership is an exciting opportunity to strengthen historical education and research in California schools.
"We are thrilled to partner with National History Day California to advance the study of history across the state," said Wilson. "Through this partnership, we hope to inspire a new generation of historians and promote the value of historical research and education."
The partnership between NHD-CA and Sac State is a significant step towards advancing historical education and research in California. As more students are inspired to study history and engage in historical research, the state can look forward to a brighter future of informed and engaged citizens.
After months of intensive research and success at district and county-level competitions, champions were recognized in Rocklin on Sunday, May 8th at William Jessup University, concluding the 2022 National History Day—California state competition. More than 1,200 students participated, coming from 210 schools across 24 counties. The 2022 national competition will be conducted online in June.
Contest Photos
Click here to view photos from the contest.
Contest Winners
"Champions" in the Documentary, Exhibit, Performance, Historical Paper, & Website categories advance to the National History Day contest that will be held online in June.
Contest Finalists
Junior and Senior Division projects that advanced to a final judging room.
CA Nominees for the "Patricia Behring Teacher of the Year" Award
Two educators from California have been nominated for the prestigious “Patricia Behring Teacher of the Year” award, a national honor for teachers who engage History Day students through innovative teaching and active learning strategies. The winners will be announced during the National History Day awards ceremony. California’s nominees are:
Maryville Poe
Monterey Trail High School, Sacramento County
Senior Division (Grades 9–12)
Jordan Einbinder
Solana Ranch Elementary School, San Diego County
Junior Division (Grades 6–8)
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Sacramento County Office of Education
NHD-CA
P.O. Box 269003
Sacramento, CA 95826