Maine West Student Earns National Award at History Day Competition
The National History Day (NHD) recently presented the awards for the 2022 NHD National Contest and Maine West senior Daniel Roque earned the "Outstanding Affiliate" award.
This award is sponsored by the National Park Service and just two entries (one in the junior division and one in the senior division) from each state earn the "Outstanding Affiliate" honor.
Daniel's exhibit, "Uprising in the Coalfields: The Battle of Blair Mountain" was the project chosen to receive that award for Illinois from the senior division.
"Daniel's exhibit was superior," says social science teacher Bryanne Roemer. "His strong thesis, along with the level of research, and his analysis made his project stand out from others. Additionally, his attention to detail and graphic design in his exhibit aided in the understanding of his research and analysis."
More than 600,000 middle and high school students entered the competition during the 2021/2022 academic school year, creating projects related to the theme Debate & Diplomacy; Successes, Failures, Consequences. After advancing through school, local, and affiliate levels, just over 2,700 students advanced to the National Contest presenting documentaries, exhibits, papers, performances, and websites.
"We know the many challenges that students and teachers faced again this year, but we are so amazed that they remained so engaged with learning and discovering the past. I congratulate all of this year's National History Day participants," says NHD Executive Director Dr. Cathy Gorn.
More than 445 historians and education professionals served as judges. The judging was conducted remotely online. More than 100 students from across the country will receive cash prizes between $250 and $1,000 for superior work in specific judging categories.
NHD is a nonprofit organization based in College Park, Maryland that seeks to improve the teaching and learning of history. The National History Day Contest was established in 1974 and currently engages more than half a million students every year in conducting original research on historical topics of interest. Students present their research as a documentary, exhibit, paper, performance, or website.