Info for Parents

A Word to History Day Parents

Planning to attend the State Competition on April 28?  Visit the State Contest Page of our website to plan your visit to UMBC.

Why should your child participate in History Day?

• History Day makes learning fun. Students choose a topic they want to learn more about and select a format that reflects their own artistic, dramatic, technological, and writing talents.
• History Day helps students develop research, critical thinking, and communication skills and helps build self-esteem and confidence.

How does History Day work?

• Students select a topic that addresses the annual National History Day theme. See the Annual Theme page for a description of the theme and suggested topics.
• Students select one of five formats for presenting their research:  research paper, documentary, performance, exhibit, or web site.
• Students may work individually or in groups of up to five people (the research paper category is for individual projects only).
• A History Day project is more than a weekend project.  Research and development of History Day projects takes place over an extended period–several months or more.

What are the rules?

• A rule book, with requirements for each competition category, can be found on our Contest Rules page.

 When are the competitions?

• Check with your child’s teacher to find out whether your school is holding a schoolwide History Day competition and ask about the date and time of the event.
• County or district competitions typically take place in March. See the complete list here.
• Winners at county competitions advance to the statewide Maryland History Day competition on the last Saturday in April at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.
• Winners at the state competition advance to the National History Day competition in June at the University of Maryland, College Park.
•  As students move to the next level of competition, they are allowed to make improvements to their projects, using the judges’ comments. The level of competition increases at each stage, as the quality of projects is raised.

 What is the role of parents?

• Provide encouragement by sharing the experience through discussions about student research.
• Review History Day rules with students to make sure they are familiar with all the requirements.
• Consult with your child’s teacher to become familiar with the project schedule and deadlines.
• Provide transportation to research sites (such as libraries, archives, museums, historic sites) and to History Day competitions.
• Assist with the operation of dangerous equipment, such as power tools, but only students are responsible for the design, construction, and presentation of projects.
• Help with transporting exhibits and props, but only students are allowed to set up the exhibits and props and operate documentary and website equipment.   

What are other advantages of History Day?

• Students have the opportunity to see and learn from the work of other students.
• Students get feedback from judges at every level, so students can revise and improve their projects.
• Students can win medals, plaques, cash prizes, and the opportunity to showcase their work in museums and other community settings.
• Some students have used their History Day projects as part of their college application portfolios.

For more details, see the Contest and Student sections of our website.