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National History Day in Colorado Student Essays

    Welcome to a section rich with the work of Colorado’s top National History Day students. These essays have all been selected for publication in the National History Day in Colorado Journal, a collection of exceptional student work focusing on state history. Students dived deep to answer a question important to them and to the shaping of Colorado. Enjoy and learn from these superb examples, which have been edited for publication in the journal.

    National History Day in Colorado (NHDC) is a social studies and literacy program that equips students in elementary, middle, and high school with the skills necessary to succeed in college and the real world. Students participate in a project-based learning curriculum that emphasizes critical reading and thinking, research, analysis, and the drawing of meaningful conclusions.

    Students are invited to compete in one of NHDC’s thirteen regions in either the junior (middle school) or senior (high school) division, or in the elementary poster contest (fourth- and fifth-graders). Regional winners compete at the state contest on the first Saturday in May at the University of Colorado–Denver. First- and second-place state winners go on to the national competition at the University of Maryland–College Park in June. In addition to papers, students can also compete as individuals or in groups in categories for documentary, exhibit, performance, or website. With over 25,000 students participating between January and May, there is always a need for volunteer judges. To learn more about serving as a judge or volunteer, please visit NHDC at https://clas.ucdenver.edu/nhdc/.

    Celeste T. Archer
    Executive Director
    National History Day Win Colorado

    2020 Articles

    2019 Articles

    2018 Articles: