Thanks for Being Our Valentine!
We appreciate all our partners and their steadfast support. We look forward to seeing all of you as judges this spring!
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Director's Letter
February is another month of history. It is specifically designated as African American History Month--what an opportunity to learn and hear about such a rich part of the fabric in our nation's history. Monday is President's Day, celebrating two American presidents who had/have an ongoing influence on the way in which the United States continues to evolve. A favorite part of our annual trip to Nationals is a stop at the Washington and Lincoln Memorials. Lincoln's is filled with reading opportunities that serve as reminders of the unmet goals for our country, as we continue to evolve toward the high expectations of the exquisite U.S. Constitution.
As such, it is exciting to announce several curriculums that NHDC will be unveiling within the next year! Next month, during Women's History Month, our new CO Women's Hall of Fame NHDC Curriculum will be unveiled. Dr. Kelly Cvanciger has worked hard to create an incredible opportunity to engage with some of Colorado's most influential and impressive women, contemporary and in history.
Coming will be curriculums engaging the resources and history of Amache Internment Camp, the Black American West Museum in Five Points, the Southern Ute Cultural Center and Museum in Ignacio, and Servicios de La Raza/el Movimiento. NHDC continues to push the bar in growing and deepening the impact we offer and create.
Be sure to note our big announcement with Denver Film Festival below--what an honor to share with you!
Here's hoping your February is filled with love, just as it is designated to be.
Celeste
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NHDC and Denver Film Announce New Partnership
National History Day in Colorado and Denver Film are thrilled to announce a new partnership. Denver Film has joined the list of NHDC's important cultural partners and will offer stewardship to young documentarians, in addition to being the entity that will award the annual "Best in Show" documentary award. NHDC is honored to have their showcase of historic documentaries added to the November line-up of the Denver Film festival. It is a great opportunity for NHDC students and the program. This event will become the prime showcase event for NHDC winners from the previous contest season.
Since 1978, Denver Film has worked to promote film as both an art form and a civic forum. As the only nonprofit theater in Colorado, Denver film is dedicated to engaging both their members and the general public in a lifelong relationship with film. Denver Film is a non-profit entity which operates the Sie FilmCenter, presents a series of spotlight festivals throughout the year and produces the summer movies series, Film on the Rocks, at Red Rocks Amphitheater, in addition to the award-winning Denver Film Festival where NHDC will be included in November.
To learn more about Denver Film, visit their website. |
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Winners' Circle
Check out our State Qualifiers, updated throughout the spring.
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2023 Contest Dates
Charter--March 4
Western Slope--March 11
Boulder--March 11
Durango--March 17
Pikes Peak--March 18
Denver/Aurora--March 18
Central Plains--March 8
Greater Denver Metro--April 1
Pueblo/Southeast--April 1
Greeley/Northeast--April 1
Mountain April 1
Registration opened for all students on January 1!
Judging Registration for ALL Regional Contests Now Open! |
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Register to Judge the State Contest Today!
It's never too early to register to judge the State Contest! It takes over 200 judges and volunteers to keep the day running smoothly, and to make the event a positive experience for our incredible students.
You do not have to be a historian or even a history expert to judge! We will train you, feed you, and we guarantee you will see some talented kids put together some amazing projects.
When: April 29, 2023
- 7:30-1:00 for preliminary rounds judges
- 7:30-4:00 for those who want to judge preliminary and final rounds
- Noon-4:00 for those who want to judge final rounds only
- Awards Ceremony is held at 5:00 pm and judges are encouraged to attend
Where: University of Colorado Denver on the Auraria Campus
*Professional development hours are available for educators.
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NHD Recruiting Judges for the National Contest
The National Office is recruiting judges for this year's National Contest, taking place in-person at the University of Maryland College Park from June 10-15. We encourage teachers, volunteers and all those interested and able to attend to register. There is no better opportunity than the National Contest to see the benefits of NHD and to be blown away by some incredible projects!
What to know:
1. First-round judging days are Monday, June 12 (Junior division), and Tuesday, June 13 (Senior division), from roughly 8 am-5 pm. Here are the key things to know about the logistics of first-round judging:
- Website and Paper – Judges will receive entries in late May and finalize results during the contest.
- Exhibit, Performance, and Documentary – Judges will receive written materials (process papers and annotated bibliographies) before the contest and will view and evaluate entries during the contest.
- All Judges will use NHD's online judging system to complete evaluations and rank entries.
- Judges are urged to bring laptops or tablets to the contest.
2. Final-round judging varies by category:
- Website and paper finals are launched the week before the contest with results pending any changes from the first-round teams after the interviews.
- Junior performance and documentary finals occur on Tuesday evening, roughly 7-10 pm.
- Senior performance and documentary finals occur on Wednesday morning, roughly 8 am-noon.
- Junior exhibit finals occur either late Monday evening or Tuesday morning.
- Senior exhibit finals occur late Tuesday afternoon.
- NOTE: To be considered for final-round judging, at least one year of National Contest experience is required.
2. To sign up, please create a judge account here: national.nhd.org. This is different from the coordinator account you'll eventually need, so make note of your judge account login.
3. To hold spots for teachers and others, just let me know which day and category. Then, circle back to me after your contest to tell me who is taking the held spots.
4. Learn more on our Judge's Main page at national.nhd.org.
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Graduate Credit Available Through Teacher Librarian Day
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Teacher Librarian Day: Critical Conversations
February 24
History Colorado Center
Registration + More Info
Teacher Librarian Day 2023 will qualify for an optional .5 hours of graduate credit through Adams State University. A short post-conference reflection required. Students must register for the course prior to the end of this semester.
Information for the Graduate Credit Assignment can be found by clicking here.
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Student & Teacher Resources and Opportunities
Opportunities for Students
The Coolidge Scholarship
The Coolidge Scholarship is a full-ride, four-year, merit scholarship that may be used by recipients for undergraduate study at any accredited college or university in the United States. Any high school junior who plans to enroll in college in the fall of 2024 and is an American citizen or legal permanent resident is eligible to apply (current high school seniors are not eligible to apply). Winners may use the scholarship to pursue any academic major.
More information
Deadline: February 23, 2023 @ 5 pm eastern.
Colorado Council for the Social Studies Annual Conference
Revitalizing Social Studies: Work that Matters
March 6, 2023
History Colorado Center
Denver, CO
Registration coming soon!
Nation Council for History Education Annual Conference
March 23-25
Salt Lake City, UT
More Information
Apply for NEH Professional Development Programs
NEH offers tuition-free opportunities for K-12 educators, higher education faculty, and humanities professionals to study a variety of humanities topics. Stipends of $1300–$3450 for residential programs and $650–$1725 for virtual programs help cover expenses for these one- to four-week programs.
Find all programs listed here
Resources for Students and Teachers
Finding, Analyzing, and Constructing History: A Research Guide for Students
from Library of Congress
Student Guide
Teacher Guide
Hispanic and Latino Heritage History Resources
from EDSITEment and National Endowment for the Humanities
Guides available here.
New Resource Collection from Mt. Vernon
Explore collection
Inside the Vault Online Programs
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Inside the Vault is a free monthly online program highlighting rare historical documents from the Gilder Lehrman Collection. Historians, teachers, and other guests join our curators to discuss the historical significance of select documents.
When does Inside the Vault take place?
The live program takes place on the first Thursday of the month at 7:00 pm ET via Zoom.
Who can watch Inside the Vault?
This program is open to the general public. Teachers, students, and history enthusiasts of all ages are encouraged to participate.
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New Digital Research Video Guides from Chronicling
NHD now has TWO new digital research video guides available to help young researchers — both novice and veteran — make full use of the Library of Congress's FREE online newspaper database, Chronicling America. The first video covers how to conduct a basic search, while the second demonstrates the "advanced search" function. You can watch these along with our other how-to videos via theNHD YouTube channel's "Quick Digital Research Tips" playlist!
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Top Courses from the Gilder Lehrman Institute
African American History since Emancipation
Peniel Joseph, University of Texas at Austin
This course examines African American history from emancipation to the present, focusing on the struggle of African Americans to achieve full citizenship in the aftermath of legal slavery.
Learn more and register
American Colonies
Alan Taylor, University of Virginia
This course examines Spanish, French, Dutch, and British encounters with Native peoples of North America during the initial centuries of colonization: 1492–1800.
Learn more and register.
American Immigration History: People, Patterns, and Policy
Madeline Y. Hsu, University of Texas at Austin
This course explores how immigration functions as a core aspect of US national identity and competing beliefs throughout history about admitting, excluding, and granting citizenship to immigrants.
Learn more and register.
Capitalism in American History
David B. Sicilia, University of Maryland
This course presents a wide-ranging exploration of how capitalism has shaped our nation, including how capitalism emerged in British North America, America’s unique pathways to industrialization, and consumerism in postwar America.
Learn more and register.
The 1960s in Historical Perspective
Michael Flamm, Ohio Wesleyan University, and Michael Kazin, Georgetown University
This course provides a balanced history of a turbulent time that continues to influence American politics, society, and culture. Topics include the presidencies of Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon, the Civil Rights Movement, and the Vietnam War.
Learn more and register.
See all courses.
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State Contest T-Shirt & Button Design Challenges
This is a wonderful opportunity for students to show off their creative skills and design the t-shirt and/or button that will be given out to participants at the State Contest on April 29 and later be worn by National Contest qualifiers. Please complete the below questionnaire to be eligible.
 
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:
-2023 middle or high school NHDC participants (the contest is NOT limited to winners of regional contests).
DESIGN STIPULATIONS:
-Designs must be in relation to National History Day in Colorado and the theme, FRONTIERS IN HISTORY.
-Design must be ONE COLOR for t-shirt.
-Design can include any number of colors for button.
Designs must be submitted no later than midnight on March 25, 2023. They should be emailed to nhdc@ucdenver.edu.
The winning designs will be framed and presented to the winner at the State Contest Award Ceremony.
Submit a Button Design
Submit a T-Shirt Design |
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Meet Our NHDC Student Board
Happy February to all! We wanted to give a quick introduction of our Student Advisory Board members. Each member wrote a quick paragraph about themselves, so that you can get to know us all a little better!
“I’m Wren Capra and I’m from Routt County, representing The Mountain Region for the NHDC board. This year my NHD documentary is about western water policy. Other than being a student, I am a competitive cyclist and Nordic skier, I like to read, and I raise chickens. My favorite historic site in my town is a spooky, geologically unique sulfur cave that is Colorado’s 16th national natural landmark.”
"I'm Nolan Ottele and a sophomore at Denver School of the Arts, where I have done history day for 3 years. Some of my hobbies include playing chess and the oboe."
"Hi! My name is Grady Hooten. I'm from the small town of Durango in the Southwest Corner of Colorado. I'm a freshman in high school, and this is my fourth year doing NHD. Every year, I've written a paper and really enjoyed it. In the summer, I golf and occasionally mountain bike. During the winter I ski on Durango's local mountain, Purgatory, and in the spring, I play lacrosse (my main sport) for the high school. I've lived in Durango my entire life, and love living in a small town. This year for NHD, I have a very ambitious goal of making it to the national competition or placing 3rd at State. I am honored to be a part of the NHDC student board, and I hope it stays strong for years to come.”
" My name is Ally Rusling. I am a junior at Delta High School and am very involved in my school's JROTC Program, I enjoy rock wall climbing, rope bridge, shooting bow and arrows, baking, and physics.”
“Hi! My name is Monroe Castle, I’m a junior at Liberty High School in Colorado Springs, representing the Front Range for the NHD student board. I am currently involved in my school’s robotics team, that made it to State, Science Olympiad, and Knowledge Bowl club. Last year I had the opportunity to participate in NHDC through my school, making it to nationals. I’ve met so many incredible people through NHDC and wanted to be more involved with an activity that transformed my life.”
 
“Hi! My name is Brecken Craft, I am a sophomore in Montrose, CO, and I am representing the Western Slope for NHD. I love to rock climb and am an athlete on the climbing team. I’m involved in my student council and am sophomore class president. I host a Bible study club at my school and partake in many Christian clubs and extracurriculars. I am a member on two other boards, “One Chance To Grow Up” and the PEER Kindness Youth Advisory Board. I love spending my time outside and am always looking for fun adventures. Personally, I believe books are way better than movies!”
“Hi! My name is Kenia Hansen Guzman. I am a junior at Fort Morgan High School in Fort Morgan, Colorado. I am the vice president of GSA, founder of PEERS, and member of LULAC, and Symphonic Orchestra. I am a Head Coach at High Plains Gymnastics Academy. I graduated COSLI in 2022!”
“My name is Brooke Auguillard, and NHDC has given me endless opportunities in many different areas of my life. NHDC has allowed me to use history and make real life change for people in my community, and across the globe. NHDC has also provided me with the confidence and knowledge I need following high school. “
“My name is Janet Trujillo I am an 11th grader at Bear Creek High School. Other than NHD I enjoy spending time with my family and friends. NHD has helped me to become a better advocate for things I believe in and provides students like me an opportunity to have an opinion on important subjects.” |
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Get Involved in the National Civics Bee
The National Civics Bee is an annual competition that provides a fun way for young Americans to engage in civics and contribute to their communities. In the first round of the contest, local 6th, 7th and 8th grade students will participate in an essay competition. Judges will then select 20 finalists to participate in the local competition: an exciting live quiz event testing civics knowledge. Local Colorado competitions will take place in Arvada, Buena Vista, Craig, Denver, and Pueblo.
The top three students from each local competition will advance to the state competition. Students have an opportunity to win cash prizes for both the local and state competition and every finalist gets a certificate for participating.
Essay entries are due by February 24, so act fast! Find details at https://civics.uschamberfoundation.org/national-civics-bee.
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NHD National Contest Internships
The National Office is accepting applications for this summer's internship at the NHDnational contest. Applications are due Friday, March 3, 2023. For more information and to apply, visit http://nhd.org/job-openings! |
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Historical Tip of the Month
Be original. Don’t simply accept conventional wisdom (or what was in the textbook). Question your sources. Question your assumptions—and the assumptions made by the authors you read. Be skeptical and curious, and you will likely end up with a strong and interesting argument.
(Courtesy of Southwestern University)
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Save the Date
April 29, 2023
State Contest
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