National Contest

CONNECTICUT STUDENTS RECEIVE PRESTIGIOUS AWARDS

(Hartford, CT) June 13, 2024 -- Sixty students in grades 6-12 represented Connecticut at the prestigious 2024 National History Day® Contest at the University of Maryland this week. These middle and high school students earned a spot on the Connecticut team by winning regional contests and then a statewide competition produced by The Connecticut Democracy Center. Connecticut students were among 2,849 students from the U. S. and overseas who came together to compete in the 50th anniversary National History Day® this past week.

The Connecticut Democracy Center is pleased to share that several of the Connecticut team members received recognition at an awards ceremony live-streamed on Thursday, June 13. Watch here: https://youtu.be/Gw5xnmQJFV4

AWARDS:

First Place
Senior (High School) Group Documentary
“The Creation of Sesame Street: A Turning Point in Educational History”
Maura Armstrong and Teagan Dieterle of Ellington High School

OUTSTANDING AFFILIATE WINNERS – CONNECTICUT:
Outstanding Connecticut Award Junior Division
Junior (Middle School) Group Exhibit - 4th Place in Category
“The Capital Crawl: A Climb for Disability Equality and the Push for the ADA”
Julianne Pashee and Katie Smith of Center School, Ellington

Outstanding Connecticut Award Senior Division
Senior (High School) Individual Documentary - 10th Place in Category
“The Great Swamp Fight: The Battle That Transformed American History”
Aarush Kalia of South Windsor High School

SPECIAL HONORS:

Discovery or Exploration in History Special Prize
Junior (Middle School) Individual Website - 5th Place in Category
“Cogito Ergo Sum: Rene Descartes' Cartesian Revelation”
Aaron Aldrin of Timothy Edwards School, South Windsor

Junior (Middle School) Individual Documentary - 8th Place
“William T.G. Morton's Ether Day: A Turning Point in Surgical Anesthesia”
Ishanvi Mohapatra of Timothy Edwards School, South Windsor

Emmet Smith, a 9th grader at Ellington High School represented Connecticut with his exhibit A Battle of Rights for the Incarcerated: The Legacy of the Attica Prison Riot. at the National Museum of American History. The Museum hosted a daylong special exhibition that featured student projects from each of National History Day's affiliate programs.

"I’m so impressed with the hard work of our students and the dedication of Connecticut teachers," said Rebecca Taber, State Coordinator of Connecticut History Day. "Team CT conducted research into some fascinating topics and their thoughtful, historical interpretation and analysis is on full display. I'm proud of how well each of them represented our state."

The Connecticut Democracy Center oversees the Connecticut History Day affiliate which offers middle and high school students an opportunity to participate in the program in either the classroom, after-school clubs, enrichment programs, or as an independent project. Students spend six months exploring any type of history, from local to international and can work individually or in groups on topics of their own choosing. They must present projects in one of five categories – exhibits, documentaries, websites, papers, or performances and learn how to identify primary sources, conduct research, and write an historical argument and thesis statement.

Inspired by the national 2024 theme of Turning Points in History, students chose topics ranging from the Hartford Circus Fire to the Capitol Crawl Disability Protest of 1990 as well as scientific topics such as the Breaking of Enigma and the HeLa Cells legacy. Students explored local topics such as the Charter Oak to a national topic such as Harlem's Golden Age to world topics such as the Battle of Stalingrad.

During the week-long competition (June 10- 14), Connecticut students presented their work to teams of volunteer judges, who reviewed entries, provided valuable feedback, and selected the top finishers. Rebecca Taber, also organized several activities for the Connecticut Team, including a trip into Washington D.C. to visit the World War II Memorial with historian Alex Kershaw and a meeting with Senators Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy, Congresswoman Jahana Hayes, and Congressmen John Larson and Joe Courtney.