UMaine to Host Maine National History Day Competition March 28
More than 300 students and teachers from 36 middle and high schools from around the state will participate in the Maine National History Day competition at the University of Maine on March 28.
For the second year in a row, a partnership between UMaine and the Margaret Chase Smith Library, with support from the Maine Humanities Council and the Maine Historical Society, brings the event for students in grades 6–12 to the UMaine campus.
National History Day (NHD) is an academic program that began in 1980 to promote critical thinking, research and presentation skills through project-based learning for students of all abilities. More than a half million students, working with thousand of teachers, participate in the national contest annually.
Student exhibits, websites, documentaries and performances will be judged from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at several locations on campus including Wells Conference Center, which will house the museum exhibit category that is open to the public.
A history scavenger hunt also will take place for participants throughout the day.
Charles Stanhope, chairman of the Maine Arts Commission who has worked at the Library of Congress and is a UMaine alumnus, is scheduled to speak at the 2:30 p.m. awards ceremony in Wells. Awards will be given in several categories, and the top state winners will be eligible to compete in the national contest in Washington, D.C. in June.
A public recognition ceremony for the state NHD award winners will be held 3:30–4:30 p.m. April 7 in Augusta’s Cultural Building atrium in partnership with the Maine State Archives, Museum and Library. A Maine student’s museum exhibit that won first place in the nation in 2014 also will be on display. The NHD recognition ceremony will be followed by the third annual Maine Humanities Summit from 5–7:30 p.m. at the Senator Inn in Augusta. More information about the summit is online.
For questions or to request a disability accommodation, contact John Taylor, NHD state coordinator with the Margaret Chase Smith Library, 317.626.8438, john.m.taylor@maine.edu; or Liam Riordan, UMaine history professor, 207.581.1913, riordan@umit.maine.edu. More information on Maine NHD is online.