Missouri students took home multiple awards and a bronze medal at the 2023 National History Day contest in College Park, MD, June 10-15. During the 2022-23 school year, over a half million students globally completed projects around the theme, Frontiers in History: People, Ideas and Events. Over 2,600 students, including 59 Missouri students, competed at the National Contest. A student team from Oak Grove High School near Kansas City was also selected to be part of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History exhibit showcase. In addition, the National Museum of African American History and Culture screened a short documentary by Central High School students in Springfield as part of National History Day contest week.
The Bronze Medal (third place in nation) went to Emma Lewis of Central High School in Springfield for her junior individual website, “The Harlem Renaissance: A Frontier for 20th Century Black Identity.” The White House History Special Prize was awarded to Collin Sybert of North Andrew Middle School in Rosendale for his individual performance, “The Atomic Age.”
Liberty Middle School students Ayodeji Nilson, Jared Kassman, and Quinn Harman received an Outstanding Entry Award for their junior group website, “Edward Jenner: Father of the Vaccine and the Frontier of Immunization.” Rohan Deshpande of Marquette Senior High School in St. Louis also receiving an Outstanding Entry Award for his senior individual documentary, “Economic Redevelopment over Community Preservation: The Frontier of Urban Renewal that Transformed our Cities.”
Alesia Dickey, Brenna Hamilton, and Kathleen Hudson of Oak Grove High School were selected to show their senior group exhibit, “The Living Room War: Advancing Frontiers in Media,” at the National Museum of American History showcase. Ian Morgan and Keavan Coale of Central High School in Springfield were selected to show their senior group documentary, “A Frontier in Litigation: Charles Houston, Thurgood Marshall, Nathan Margold, and the Fight to End Segregation in Education,” at the National Museum of African American History and Culture.
National History Day in Missouri is sponsored and organized by the State Historical Society of Missouri, in partnership with Missouri Humanities and additional sponsors. Each year, NHD students compete in five project categories, including documentary, exhibit, performance, paper and website. The contest is open to students public, private or home school students, grades 6-12, who are sponsored by a teacher, guardian or mentor. Over 5,000 students in grades 6–12 participate in this annual program, with nearly 500 students advancing to this year’s state contest held in April. For more information, visit nhdmo.org.