National History Day

The National History Day in Missouri (NHDMO) program transforms the way students view history.

Students (grades 6-12) learn about their world and themselves by creating hands-on research projects and competing in successive local, state, and national contests.

What is National History Day?

Every year, around 300 students from over 15 schools in Springfield and surrounding areas participate in the contest by designing a website, putting on a performance, writing a historical paper, creating a documentary, or curating a museum-like exhibit. Their projects range in topics from local history to global issues, and are judged by our faculty, history graduate assistants, and other qualified members of the community.

At Missouri State University, students compete for a chance to advance to state and, hopefully from there, to the national contest. MSU’s Department of History is proud to sponsor History Day in our region.

This project-based learning program provides students with skill-sets for college as well as a variety of careers.

Get involved

Upcoming National History Day

March 7, 2025

The History Day competition will be held in person on March 7, 2025, at the Plaster Student Union, on the campus of Missouri State University.

The deadline to register for this event is February 17, 2025.

Submissions

What you need to submit by the deadline depends on the category you are competing.

  • Websites and historical papers: Submit completed projects by deadline.
  • Documentaries: Submit work in progress by deadline; students are allowed to continue working on their projects until the day of the contest.
  • Exhibits and performances: No submissions required.
  • History Day Resources

    Review Contest Rule Book

    Review The Annual Theme Book

     

    Registration

    Teachers and students can register their details as early as November 1 of every year. 

    Register now

    Project exmaples
    Learn from these winning entries from previous National History Day Contests.

    NHD news

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