Students from seven Maryland counties and Baltimore City will represent Maryland in the National History Day competition in June
(Baltimore, MD) – Maryland Humanities is delighted that more than 500 middle and high school students shared a year’s worth of history research at the 2025 Maryland History Day State Contest on May 3.
The competition, held at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), serves as the culmination of Maryland Humanities' Maryland History Day program. Students who participate in the program create original documentaries, exhibits, performances, research papers, or websites exploring a historical topic of their choice, based on an annual theme.
Maryland History Day is an affiliate of National History Day, whose work includes selecting each year's theme. For 2025, the organization chose the theme of “Rights and Responsibilities in History.”
Maryland History Day sparks critical thinking in students, and helps them develop their skills in research and analysis, writing, and public speaking. Last year, more than 28,000 Maryland students participated at the school level. The program is open to public, private, parochial, and homeschool students in grades 6 through 12.
Competitors at Maryland History Day have already won first or second place in their category at school and/or district levels. Students from fifteen counties, Baltimore City, and the Juvenile Services Education Program (part of the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services) received special awards, designated for outstanding Maryland History Day projects that cover specific subjects.
Students from seven Maryland counties and Baltimore City will represent Maryland in the National History Day competition, where they will compete among an estimated 3,000 participants from across the country and beyond. National History Day runs June 8–12 at the University of Maryland in College Park.
The national competition involves students from all 50 states plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, and international schools in China, Korea, and South Asia. Maryland History Day is an affiliate of National History Day, a nonprofit education organization that promotes an appreciation for historical research among middle and high school students through multiple annual programs, including the National History Day Contest.
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Maryland Humanities is also pleased to name Lindsay Matthews and Sam Manelski as the Maryland History Day Statewide Middle and High School Teachers of the Year, respectively. Matthews teaches social studies at Easton Middle School on Maryland’s Mid-Shore, while Manelski serves as History and Social Studies Department Chair at Loyola Blakefield in Baltimore, and also teaches. Both Matthews and Manelski were honored at the Maryland History Day Awards Ceremony.
The competition, held at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), serves as the culmination of Maryland Humanities' Maryland History Day program. Students who participate in the program create original documentaries, exhibits, performances, research papers, or websites exploring a historical topic of their choice, based on an annual theme.
Maryland History Day is an affiliate of National History Day, whose work includes selecting each year's theme. For 2025, the organization chose the theme of “Rights and Responsibilities in History.”
Maryland History Day sparks critical thinking in students, and helps them develop their skills in research and analysis, writing, and public speaking. Last year, more than 28,000 Maryland students participated at the school level. The program is open to public, private, parochial, and homeschool students in grades 6 through 12.
Competitors at Maryland History Day have already won first or second place in their category at school and/or district levels. Students from fifteen counties, Baltimore City, and the Juvenile Services Education Program (part of the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services) received special awards, designated for outstanding Maryland History Day projects that cover specific subjects.
Students from seven Maryland counties and Baltimore City will represent Maryland in the National History Day competition, where they will compete among an estimated 3,000 participants from across the country and beyond. National History Day runs June 8–12 at the University of Maryland in College Park.
The national competition involves students from all 50 states plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, and international schools in China, Korea, and South Asia. Maryland History Day is an affiliate of National History Day, a nonprofit education organization that promotes an appreciation for historical research among middle and high school students through multiple annual programs, including the National History Day Contest.
**
Maryland Humanities is also pleased to name Lindsay Matthews and Sam Manelski as the Maryland History Day Statewide Middle and High School Teachers of the Year, respectively. Matthews teaches social studies at Easton Middle School on Maryland’s Mid-Shore, while Manelski serves as History and Social Studies Department Chair at Loyola Blakefield in Baltimore, and also teaches. Both Matthews and Manelski were honored at the Maryland History Day Awards Ceremony.
Lindsay Matthews
“It's nice to be seen as a social studies teacher,” says Matthews. “That doesn't happen very often, being recognized for specifically a social studies program that I really have come and learned to love, it means a lot.” She calls Maryland History Day “the most real-life social studies task that we can really provide kids.”
Sam Manelski
Manelski says: “I'm really appreciative of it. I'm very thankful.” He adds that Maryland History Day helps students “realize what they're capable of….They prove to themselves that they're smart and motivated.”
To learn more, visit the Maryland History Day website. For any questions or other information, please contact Stephanie Boyle, Program Officer for History, here.
Maryland History Day is supported by Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE), National History Day®, Thalheimer-Eurich Charitable Fund, Baltimore County Commission on the Arts & Sciences, James T. and Virginia M. Dresher Center for the Humanities at UMBC, and Wright, Constable & Skeen, LLP.
To learn more, visit the Maryland History Day website. For any questions or other information, please contact Stephanie Boyle, Program Officer for History, here.
Maryland History Day is supported by Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE), National History Day®, Thalheimer-Eurich Charitable Fund, Baltimore County Commission on the Arts & Sciences, James T. and Virginia M. Dresher Center for the Humanities at UMBC, and Wright, Constable & Skeen, LLP.
MARYLAND HISTORY DAY HONOREES 2025
ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY
Advancers to National History Day:
Student: Alma Naghedi
Awards: Second Place, Senior Individual Documentary AND Marilyn
Hatza Award for Excellence in African American History, sponsored by the Maryland Commission on African Art and Culture
Title: "Many Called Salvageable": Crownsville State Hospital and America's Struggle with Race and Mental Health
School: Crofton High School
Teacher: Daniel Collins
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Student: Jackson Rubin
Award: Second Place, Senior Paper
Title: The Crises of the Forgotten Child
School: Annapolis High School
Teacher: Jessica Pantazis
*
Special Prize Winners
Student: Eleanor Hotchkiss
Award: Excellence in Civic Action and Engagement, sponsored by Maryland Council for Social Studies
Title: "The Face Behind the Photo" Lewis Hine and his Impact on the Child Labor Industry
Category: Senior Individual Performance
School: Annapolis High School
Teacher: Jessica Pantazis
*
Maryland History Day District Teacher of the Year:
Jennifer Roman, Virtual Academy
*
BALTIMORE CITY
Advancers to National History Day:
Student: Owen Miller
Awards: Second Place, Junior Paper AND Excellence in Maryland History, sponsored by Maryland Center for History and Culture
Title: Prohibition in Maryland: How Mencken and Ritchie Kept the State Wet for the Rights of the People
School: Hampden Elementary/Middle School
Teacher: Christopher Drexel
*
Special Prize Winners:
Student: Noah Burd
Award: Excellence in LGBTQ+ History, sponsored by Jeanne M. Marcus and Friends
Title: "Our Last Oppressed National Minority": The Lavender Scare's War on Queer Lives
Category: Junior Individual Performance
School: Thomas Johnson Elementary/Middle School
Teacher: Julie Ruff
*
Students: Rowan Chang and River Skeen
Award: Excellence in Asian History, sponsored by the Department of History at University of Maryland, Baltimore County
Title: The Chinese Exclusion Act
Category: Junior Group Website
School: Roland Park Elementary/Middle School
Teacher: Allisun Thompson
*
Student: McLuhan Conway
Award: Excellence in Maryland History, sponsored by Maryland Center for History and Culture
Title: Smallwood and Torrey: Renegades for Rights
Category: Senior Individual Documentary
School: Baltimore Polytechnic Institute
Teacher: Patrice Frasier
*
Student: Anna Hao
Award: Eugene J. Becker Award for Excellence in Cyber Security and Cryptology, sponsored by National Cryptologic Foundation
Title: Code Girls: The American Women Who Broke Codes in World War II
Category: Junior Individual Exhibit
School: The Bryn Mawr School
Teacher: Matthew Hetrick
*
Maryland History Day District Teacher of the Year:
Allisun Thompson, Roland Park Elementary/Middle School
*
BALTIMORE COUNTY
Advancers to National History Day:
Students: Michael Atika, Benjamin Kasofsky, Ava Mulligan, Jordan Salkeld, and Sophie Vijayan
Award: First Place, Senior Group Documentary
Title: Evacuated and Erased: The History of Japanese Internment
School: Towson High School
Teacher: Jeffrey Carter
*
Special Prize Winner:
Student: Aidan Bossle
Award: George Washington Leadership Prize, sponsored by George Washington’s Mount Vernon
Title: Republicanism in the Federal Convention of 1787
Category: Senior Paper
School: Loyola Blakefield
Teacher: Sam Manelski
Maryland History Day Statewide High School Teacher of the Year:
Sam Manelski, Loyola Blakefield
*
CALVERT COUNTY
Advancers to National History Day:
Student: Nicolette Peters
Award: First Place, Junior Individual Exhibit
Title: Bread and Roses Strike - Fight for Economic and Social Rights
School: Plum Point Middle School
Teacher: Amber Mullins
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Student: Harlan Christensen
Award: Second Place, Junior Individual Website
Title: Japanese Internment: Balancing Individual Rights and Wartime Responsibilities
School: Plum Point Middle School
Teacher: Amber Mullins
*
Special Prize Winner:
Student: Brett Sheranko
Award: Excellence in Legal and Constitutional History, sponsored by Cynthia Raposo and Joseph Furey
Title: Corporate Personhood: When Speech Comes with a Price Tag
Category: Senior Individual Documentary
School: Patuxent High School
Teacher: Jacqueline Hall
*
Maryland History Day District Teacher of the Year:
Jessica Western, Calvert Middle School
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CAROLINE COUNTY
Special Prize Winner:
Student: Sloan Willey
Award: Excellence in White House History, sponsored by White House
Historical Association
Title: The Founding of Shenandoah
Category: Junior Individual Exhibit
School: Lockerman Middle School
Teacher: Linda Echternach
*
Maryland History Day District Teacher of the Year:
Linda Echternach, Lockerman Middle School
*
CARROLL COUNTY
Special Prize Winners:
Students: Marla Fullen and Rosemary Murcia Sanchez
Award: Excellence in Latine History, sponsored by Anne Arundel County Executive Steuart Pittman
Title: The Chicano Civil Rights Movement
Category: Junior Group Exhibit
School: Sykesville Middle School
Teacher: Mary Mullinix
*
Student: Grace Stine
Award: Excellence in White House History, sponsored by White House Historical Association
Title: The Burning of Washington/The Rights and Responsibilities of The White House Legacy
Category: Senior Individual Exhibit
School: Francis Scott Key High School
Teacher: Rebecca Bell
*
Maryland History Day District Teacher of the Year:
Joyce Abbott, Oklahoma Roads Middle School
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CECIL COUNTY
Special Prize Winner:
Student: Levi Golt
Award: Major General John E. Morrison Award for Excellence in STEM Education and Innovation, sponsored by National Cryptologic Foundation
Title: A Need for Nothing: A History of the Greatest Mathematical Discovery
Category: Junior Paper
School: The Tome School
Teacher: Raymond Costello
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Maryland History Day District Teacher of the Year:
Raymond Costello, The Tome School
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CHARLES COUNTY
Special Prize Winners:
Student: Liam Carsia
Award: Excellence in United States Military History, sponsored by Maryland Military Monuments Commission
Title: Atomic Veterans: The Fight for Rights, GovernmentResponsibility, and Recognition
Category: Junior Individual Documentary
School: Milton M. Somers Middle School
Teacher: Kristen Barrett
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Student: Jalene Hailu
Award: Marilyn Hatza Award for Excellence in African American History, sponsored by Maryland Commission on African Art and Culture
Title: A Monumental March: Selma to Montgomery
Category: Junior Individual Documentary
School: Milton M. Somers Middle School
Teacher: Kristen Barrett
*
Maryland History Day District Teacher of the Year:
Allen G. Hopkins, Districtwide Social Studies Resource Teacher
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FREDERICK COUNTY
Advancers to National History Day:
Student: Laila Asamoah
Award: First Place, Junior Individual Website
Title: The Price of Silence: How the Pentagon Papers Changed America’s Right to Know
School: Middletown Middle School
Teacher: Magdalene Monahan
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Student: Roman Jackson
Award: First Place, Junior Individual Documentary
Title: Seconds Save Lives: Rights and Responsibilities When Dialing 9-1-1
School: Frederick Homeschoolers
Teacher: Christine Pritt
*
Student: Ava Johnson
Award: Second Place, Junior Individual Exhibit
Title: Women's Suffrage in Maryland
School: Middletown Middle School
Teacher: Magdalene Monahan
*
Special Prize Winners:
Student: Arianie Dey
Award: Excellence in Women's History, Senior Division, sponsored by
Maryland Women’s Heritage Center
Title: Breaking The Bar
Category: Senior Paper
School: Urbana High School
Teacher: Erin Spahr
*
Student: Yashaswini Kunati
Award: Excellence in Women's History, Junior Division, sponsored by the Department of History at University of Maryland, Baltimore County
Title: Silenced Voices: The Dark Era of Eugenics that Haunts Our World
Category: Junior Individual Website
School: Windsor Knolls Middle School
Teacher: Rebecca Clark
*
Maryland History Day District Teacher of the Year:
Katelyn Bishop, Crestwood Middle School
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GARRETT COUNTY
Special Prize Winners:
Students: Owen Rowe and Garrett Savage
Award: Excellence in Historic Preservation, sponsored by Maryland Historical Trust
Title: Frostburg Preservation: Museum Leading Generations
Category: Junior Group Exhibit
School: Northern Middle School
Teacher: Amanda Wilburn
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Students: Violet Taylor and Mary Thrush
Award: Excellence in Legal and Constitutional History, sponsored by Cynthia Raposo and Joseph Furey
Title: The Nuremberg Trials: Serving Justice by Creating International Law while Protecting Human Rights
Category: Junior Group Website
School: Northern Middle School
Teacher: Amanda Wilburn
*
Maryland History Day District Teacher of the Year:
Amanda Wilburn, Northern Garrett Middle School
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HOWARD COUNTY
Advancers to National History Day:
Student: Sravya Annappareddy
Award: First Place, Senior Individual Performance
Title: Autonomy Under Attack: Rights and Responsibilities in Roe
School: Guilford Park High School
Teacher: Allison Miller
*
Student: Ava Bergersen
Award: First Place, Senior Individual Website
Title: Loving v. Virginia: A Landmark for Love and Equality
School: Reservoir High School
Teacher: Jennifer Coker
*
Students: Tirzah Chan, Annabelle Wu, and Surie Zhang
Award: First Place, Senior Group Performance
Title: The Lasting Impact of Forever Chemicals: How the DuPont Case Altered Corporate Responsibility and Consumer Rights
School: River Hill High School
Teacher: Callie Casper
*
Student: Hemant Kantheti
Award: Senior Individual Exhibit, First Place
Title: Stamp of Silence: How The Comics Code Authority of 1954 Redefined Rights and Responsibilities in Pop Culture
School: Howard High School
Teacher: Danelle Brennan
*
Student: Chaitra Maddineni
Award: First Place, Junior Paper
Title: National Security vs. Freedom of The Press: The Legacy of The Pentagon Papers
School: Clarksville Middle School
Teachers: Margaret Brothman, Beth Ceglia, and Cass Mairs
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Students: Riley Chan and Saarah Pirbhai
Award: Second Place, Junior Group Website
Title: Death by DuPont: A Story of Corporate Neglect
School: Bonnie Branch Middle School
Teachers: Steven Boone, Kara Nanni, and Sarah Russo
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Students: Charlotte Conley, Elena Hamilton, and Elle McRae
Award: Second Place, Junior Group Performance
Title: Take A Stand: The Lowell Girls' Strike of 1836
School: Patuxent Valley Middle School
Teacher: Monica Chelidona
*
Student: Navya Dwivedi
Award: Second Place, Junior Individual Documentary
Title: Within the Shadows of Inequality: How Women Fought for Justice in American Spy Organizations
School: Clarksville Middle School
Teachers: Margaret Brothman, Beth Ceglia, and Cass Mairs
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Students: Pierce Eatough, Tommy Layi-Ojo, and Aidan McGuire
Award: Second Place, Senior Group Performance
Title: Miranda Rights and Legal Responsibilities: Balancing Justice in America
School: Long Reach High School
Teacher: Lisa Milak
*
Students: Vihaan Jain and Neal Shandilya
Award: Second Place, Senior Group Documentary
Title: The Controversy Behind the First Amendment: New York Times Co. vs. United States
School: Howard High School
Teachers: Danelle Brennan and Leah Foran
*
Students: Mira Kalirai and Suriya Kalirai
Award: Second Place, Senior Group Website
Title: The Outer Space Treaty: Rights and Responsibilities in the Cosmos
School: River Hill High School
Teacher: Callie Casper
*
Students: Aryan Patel, Jas Shandilya, and Jack Topel
Award: Second Place, Junior Group Documentary
Title: Voices Against Tyranny: The White Rose
School: Bonnie Branch Middle School
Teachers: Steven Boone, Kara Nanni, and Sarah Russo
*
Students: Shiven Trambadia and Justin Wang
Award: Second Place, Senior Group Exhibit
Title: Blood Behind Bars: The Attica Prison Riot
School: Howard High School
Teacher: Danelle Brennan
*
Special Prize Winners:
Student: Max Moayedi
Award: Excellence in Indigenous History, sponsored by Baltimore Reservation Project
Title: The Cost of Colonization: Indigenous Rights in Jamestown
Category: Junior Individual Performance
School: Elkridge Landing Middle School
Teacher: Felicia O'Meara
*
Students: Kimberly Mueth and Sanjay Shenoy
Award: Senator Thomas V. Mike Miller, Jr. Award for Excellence in Government History, sponsored by Anonymous
Title: Patriot or Traitor: The Release of the Pentagon Papers
Category: Junior Group Documentary
School: Patapsco Middle School
Teacher: Matthew Dymek
*
Student: Emerson Vivrette
Award: Excellence in Latine History, sponsored by Anne Arundel County Executive Steuart Pittman
Title: El Movimiento: Chicano Identity and the Fight for Mexican American Civil Rights
Category: Junior Individual Website
School: Elkridge Landing Middle School
Teacher: Felicia O'Meara
*
Maryland History Day District Teacher of the Year:
Jennifer Coker, Reservoir High School
*
JUVENILE SERVICES EDUCATION PROGRAM
Special Prize Winner:
Student: Anonymous
Award: Award for Excellence in Historic Preservation, sponsored by Maryland Historical Trust
Title: Tangier Island
Category: Senior Individual Exhibit
School: Victor Cullen Center
Teacher: Sheila Leatherbury
*
Maryland History Day District Teacher of the Year:
Sheila Leatherbury, Victor Cullen Center
MONTGOMERY COUNTY
Advancers to National History Day:
Students: Delina Birhan, Maya Hassenplug, and Madeline Massey
Award: First Place, Junior Group Performance
Title: Silenced Voices: How Italian Fascism Caused a Delay in Italian Women’s Voting Rights
School: Eastern Middle School
Teacher: Abigail Petit
*
Students: Jacob Frias, Emmanuel Getahun, Nikhil Pandey, and Nuaimaan Tewfik
Award: First Place, Senior Group Website
Title: The Salute that Changed The World: The 1968 Black Power Salute
School: Poolesville High School
Teacher: Stephanie Gomer
*
Students: Melanie Guo, Honna Trinkl, and Selena Zhang
Award: First Place, Senior Group Exhibit
Title: The Holmesburg Experiments
School: Poolesville High School
Teacher: Stephanie Gomer
*
Students: Lillian Matragrano and Keira Oie
Award: First Place, Junior Group Exhibit
Title: Bloody Sunday: Death on the Streets of Derry
School: Silver Spring International Middle School
Teacher: Kevin Grimsland
*
Students: Maya Mourshed
Award: First Place, Junior Individual Performance
Title: Hello, Dolly!: How a Sheep Provoked Debate About the Implications of Breakthrough Scientific Advancements on Society
School: Francis Scott Key Middle School
Teacher: Steve O'Shaughnessy
*
Students: Kavya Rajkotia and Leena Rajkotia
Award: First Place, Junior Group Documentary
Title: Democracy’s Crucible: Rights Reborn, Responsibilities Reclaimed
School: Homeschool
Teacher: Yogesh Rajkotia
*
Student: Ishita Singh
Awards: First Place, Senior Paper AND Excellence in Labor History, sponsored by Bill Barry and Friends
Title: The Radium Girls: The Undead Fight for Worker Rights
School: Poolesville High School
Teacher: Andy Ward
*
Student: Chloe Chang
Awards: Second Place, Senior Individual Website AND Eugene J. Becker
Award for Excellence in Cyber Security and Cryptology, sponsored by National Cryptologic Foundation
Title: Making WAVES: The First Women's Reserve in the Navy
School: Poolesville High School
Teacher: Stephanie Gomer
*
Student: Skylar Dash
Award: Second Place, Senior Individual Exhibit
Title: The 1985 Bombing of Osage Avenue
School: Poolesville High School
Teacher: Stephanie Gomer
*
Students: Lydia Garside and Genevieve Lichtenberger
Award: Second Place, Junior Group Exhibit
Title: Women's Right to Vote: Before and After the 19th Amendment
School: Sligo Middle School
Teacher: Jason Smith
*
Student: Franka Hebisch
Award: Second Place, Junior Individual Performance
Title: Corporate Tyranny: Upholding Worker's and Women's Rights and Owners’ Responsibilities During the Match Girls Strike of 1888
School: Eastern Middle School
Teacher: Abigail Petit
*
Student: Imani Lovelace
Award: Second Place, Senior Individual Performance
Title: 2Pac, 2 Legacies: The Complex Impacts of Tupac Shakur
School: Poolesville High School
Teacher: Stephanie Gomer
*
Special Prize Winners:
Student: Jasper Benke
Award: Major General John E. Morrison Award for Excellence in STEM Education and Innovation, sponsored by National Cryptologic Foundation
Title: Balancing Safety and Security: Lessons from the 1979 Three Mile Island Nuclear Accident on US Energy Policy and Government Responsibility
Category: Senior Individual Website
School: Walt Whitman High School
Teacher: Peter Kenah
*
Student: Liliana Katz
Award: Excellence in History of Science and Technology, sponsored by the Department of History at University of Maryland, Baltimore County
Title: The Birth of Bioethics
Category: Senior Individual Documentary
School: The Bullis School
Teacher: Sara Romeyn
*
Students: Grace Kepka, Dalya Lippmann, and Lydia Tucker
Award: Michael E. Patten Memorial History Award for Best Use of Primary Sources, sponsored by the Frank Patten Family
Title: Balancing Rights and Responsibilities: Cigarette Advertising in the Late 20th Century
Category: Senior Group Exhibit
School: Montgomery Blair High School
Teacher: Marc Grossman
*
Students: Amelia Lancaster and Lauren Miller
Award: Senator Thomas V. Mike Miller, Jr. Award for Excellence in Government History, sponsored by Anonymous
Title: Lives in Balance
Category: Senior Group Documentary
School: Poolesville High School
Teacher: Stephanie Gomer
*
Students: Olivia Lawrence, Hadley Miller, and Clara Park
Award: Excellence in LGBTQ+ History, sponsored by Jeanne M. Marcus and Friends
Title: Frank Kameny’s Fight: Forging Gay Equality in the Government
Category: Senior Group Website
School: Poolesville High School
Teacher: Stephanie Gomer
*
Maryland History Day District Teacher of the Year:
Rachel Lunsford, North Bethesda Middle School
*
PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY
Advancers to National History Day:
Students: Jordan Badger and Amani Jones
Award: First Place, Junior Group Website
Title: Uprooted and Imprisoned: Executive Order 9066 and its Aftermath
School: Kenmoor Middle School
Teacher: Carol Carter
*
Student: Christopher Hill
Awards: First Place, Senior Individual Documentary AND Excellence in United States Military History, sponsored by Maryland Military Monuments Commission
Title: The Fight for The Right of Flight: The Tuskegee Airmen
School: Oxon Hill High School
Teacher: Adam Thomas
*
Special Prize Winners:
Students: Kamaal Aaron, Michael Ayodeji, and Kenson Okah
Award: Barry A. Lanman Award for Oral History Excellence, sponsored by Barry A. Lanman
Title: The Disguised Genocide
Category: Senior Group Documentary
School: Oxon Hill High School
Teachers: Elexis Brooks and Paul Mock
*
Maryland History Day District Teacher of the Year:
Victoria Patch, Eleanor Roosevelt High School
*
QUEEN ANNE’S COUNTY
Special Prize Winner:
Student: Caroline Shaw
Award: Excellence in Labor History, sponsored by Bill Barry and Friends
Title: Exposing Injustices: Muckrakers in the Progressive Era
Category: Junior Individual Exhibit
School: Centreville Middle School
Teacher: Andy Anders
*
Maryland History Day District Teacher of the Year:
Thomas Hayman, Centerville Middle School
ST. MARY’S COUNTY
Special Prize Winner:
Student: McKenna Stockman-Quade
Award: George Washington Leadership Prize, sponsored by George Washington’s Mount Vernon
Title: Forge Ahead! How Washington's Army Overcame Adversity, 1777-1778.
Category: Senior Individual Exhibit
School: Homeschool
Teacher: Carol Stockman-Quade
*
Maryland History Day District Teacher of the Year:
Leif Liberg, St. Mary’s Ryken High School
*
TALBOT COUNTY
Special Prize Winner:
Student: Annette Clougherty
Award: Excellence in Civic Action and Engagement, sponsored by Maryland Council for Social Studies
Title: Cow Wars
Category: Junior Individual Exhibit
School: Easton Middle School
Teacher: Lindsay Matthews
*
Maryland History Day Statewide Middle School Teacher of the Year:
Lindsay Matthews, Easton Middle School
***
Advancers to National History Day:
Student: Alma Naghedi
Awards: Second Place, Senior Individual Documentary AND Marilyn
Hatza Award for Excellence in African American History, sponsored by the Maryland Commission on African Art and Culture
Title: "Many Called Salvageable": Crownsville State Hospital and America's Struggle with Race and Mental Health
School: Crofton High School
Teacher: Daniel Collins
*
Student: Jackson Rubin
Award: Second Place, Senior Paper
Title: The Crises of the Forgotten Child
School: Annapolis High School
Teacher: Jessica Pantazis
*
Special Prize Winners
Student: Eleanor Hotchkiss
Award: Excellence in Civic Action and Engagement, sponsored by Maryland Council for Social Studies
Title: "The Face Behind the Photo" Lewis Hine and his Impact on the Child Labor Industry
Category: Senior Individual Performance
School: Annapolis High School
Teacher: Jessica Pantazis
*
Maryland History Day District Teacher of the Year:
Jennifer Roman, Virtual Academy
*
BALTIMORE CITY
Advancers to National History Day:
Student: Owen Miller
Awards: Second Place, Junior Paper AND Excellence in Maryland History, sponsored by Maryland Center for History and Culture
Title: Prohibition in Maryland: How Mencken and Ritchie Kept the State Wet for the Rights of the People
School: Hampden Elementary/Middle School
Teacher: Christopher Drexel
*
Special Prize Winners:
Student: Noah Burd
Award: Excellence in LGBTQ+ History, sponsored by Jeanne M. Marcus and Friends
Title: "Our Last Oppressed National Minority": The Lavender Scare's War on Queer Lives
Category: Junior Individual Performance
School: Thomas Johnson Elementary/Middle School
Teacher: Julie Ruff
*
Students: Rowan Chang and River Skeen
Award: Excellence in Asian History, sponsored by the Department of History at University of Maryland, Baltimore County
Title: The Chinese Exclusion Act
Category: Junior Group Website
School: Roland Park Elementary/Middle School
Teacher: Allisun Thompson
*
Student: McLuhan Conway
Award: Excellence in Maryland History, sponsored by Maryland Center for History and Culture
Title: Smallwood and Torrey: Renegades for Rights
Category: Senior Individual Documentary
School: Baltimore Polytechnic Institute
Teacher: Patrice Frasier
*
Student: Anna Hao
Award: Eugene J. Becker Award for Excellence in Cyber Security and Cryptology, sponsored by National Cryptologic Foundation
Title: Code Girls: The American Women Who Broke Codes in World War II
Category: Junior Individual Exhibit
School: The Bryn Mawr School
Teacher: Matthew Hetrick
*
Maryland History Day District Teacher of the Year:
Allisun Thompson, Roland Park Elementary/Middle School
*
BALTIMORE COUNTY
Advancers to National History Day:
Students: Michael Atika, Benjamin Kasofsky, Ava Mulligan, Jordan Salkeld, and Sophie Vijayan
Award: First Place, Senior Group Documentary
Title: Evacuated and Erased: The History of Japanese Internment
School: Towson High School
Teacher: Jeffrey Carter
*
Special Prize Winner:
Student: Aidan Bossle
Award: George Washington Leadership Prize, sponsored by George Washington’s Mount Vernon
Title: Republicanism in the Federal Convention of 1787
Category: Senior Paper
School: Loyola Blakefield
Teacher: Sam Manelski
Maryland History Day Statewide High School Teacher of the Year:
Sam Manelski, Loyola Blakefield
*
CALVERT COUNTY
Advancers to National History Day:
Student: Nicolette Peters
Award: First Place, Junior Individual Exhibit
Title: Bread and Roses Strike - Fight for Economic and Social Rights
School: Plum Point Middle School
Teacher: Amber Mullins
*
Student: Harlan Christensen
Award: Second Place, Junior Individual Website
Title: Japanese Internment: Balancing Individual Rights and Wartime Responsibilities
School: Plum Point Middle School
Teacher: Amber Mullins
*
Special Prize Winner:
Student: Brett Sheranko
Award: Excellence in Legal and Constitutional History, sponsored by Cynthia Raposo and Joseph Furey
Title: Corporate Personhood: When Speech Comes with a Price Tag
Category: Senior Individual Documentary
School: Patuxent High School
Teacher: Jacqueline Hall
*
Maryland History Day District Teacher of the Year:
Jessica Western, Calvert Middle School
*
CAROLINE COUNTY
Special Prize Winner:
Student: Sloan Willey
Award: Excellence in White House History, sponsored by White House
Historical Association
Title: The Founding of Shenandoah
Category: Junior Individual Exhibit
School: Lockerman Middle School
Teacher: Linda Echternach
*
Maryland History Day District Teacher of the Year:
Linda Echternach, Lockerman Middle School
*
CARROLL COUNTY
Special Prize Winners:
Students: Marla Fullen and Rosemary Murcia Sanchez
Award: Excellence in Latine History, sponsored by Anne Arundel County Executive Steuart Pittman
Title: The Chicano Civil Rights Movement
Category: Junior Group Exhibit
School: Sykesville Middle School
Teacher: Mary Mullinix
*
Student: Grace Stine
Award: Excellence in White House History, sponsored by White House Historical Association
Title: The Burning of Washington/The Rights and Responsibilities of The White House Legacy
Category: Senior Individual Exhibit
School: Francis Scott Key High School
Teacher: Rebecca Bell
*
Maryland History Day District Teacher of the Year:
Joyce Abbott, Oklahoma Roads Middle School
*
CECIL COUNTY
Special Prize Winner:
Student: Levi Golt
Award: Major General John E. Morrison Award for Excellence in STEM Education and Innovation, sponsored by National Cryptologic Foundation
Title: A Need for Nothing: A History of the Greatest Mathematical Discovery
Category: Junior Paper
School: The Tome School
Teacher: Raymond Costello
*
Maryland History Day District Teacher of the Year:
Raymond Costello, The Tome School
*
CHARLES COUNTY
Special Prize Winners:
Student: Liam Carsia
Award: Excellence in United States Military History, sponsored by Maryland Military Monuments Commission
Title: Atomic Veterans: The Fight for Rights, GovernmentResponsibility, and Recognition
Category: Junior Individual Documentary
School: Milton M. Somers Middle School
Teacher: Kristen Barrett
*
Student: Jalene Hailu
Award: Marilyn Hatza Award for Excellence in African American History, sponsored by Maryland Commission on African Art and Culture
Title: A Monumental March: Selma to Montgomery
Category: Junior Individual Documentary
School: Milton M. Somers Middle School
Teacher: Kristen Barrett
*
Maryland History Day District Teacher of the Year:
Allen G. Hopkins, Districtwide Social Studies Resource Teacher
*
FREDERICK COUNTY
Advancers to National History Day:
Student: Laila Asamoah
Award: First Place, Junior Individual Website
Title: The Price of Silence: How the Pentagon Papers Changed America’s Right to Know
School: Middletown Middle School
Teacher: Magdalene Monahan
*
Student: Roman Jackson
Award: First Place, Junior Individual Documentary
Title: Seconds Save Lives: Rights and Responsibilities When Dialing 9-1-1
School: Frederick Homeschoolers
Teacher: Christine Pritt
*
Student: Ava Johnson
Award: Second Place, Junior Individual Exhibit
Title: Women's Suffrage in Maryland
School: Middletown Middle School
Teacher: Magdalene Monahan
*
Special Prize Winners:
Student: Arianie Dey
Award: Excellence in Women's History, Senior Division, sponsored by
Maryland Women’s Heritage Center
Title: Breaking The Bar
Category: Senior Paper
School: Urbana High School
Teacher: Erin Spahr
*
Student: Yashaswini Kunati
Award: Excellence in Women's History, Junior Division, sponsored by the Department of History at University of Maryland, Baltimore County
Title: Silenced Voices: The Dark Era of Eugenics that Haunts Our World
Category: Junior Individual Website
School: Windsor Knolls Middle School
Teacher: Rebecca Clark
*
Maryland History Day District Teacher of the Year:
Katelyn Bishop, Crestwood Middle School
*
GARRETT COUNTY
Special Prize Winners:
Students: Owen Rowe and Garrett Savage
Award: Excellence in Historic Preservation, sponsored by Maryland Historical Trust
Title: Frostburg Preservation: Museum Leading Generations
Category: Junior Group Exhibit
School: Northern Middle School
Teacher: Amanda Wilburn
*
Students: Violet Taylor and Mary Thrush
Award: Excellence in Legal and Constitutional History, sponsored by Cynthia Raposo and Joseph Furey
Title: The Nuremberg Trials: Serving Justice by Creating International Law while Protecting Human Rights
Category: Junior Group Website
School: Northern Middle School
Teacher: Amanda Wilburn
*
Maryland History Day District Teacher of the Year:
Amanda Wilburn, Northern Garrett Middle School
*
HOWARD COUNTY
Advancers to National History Day:
Student: Sravya Annappareddy
Award: First Place, Senior Individual Performance
Title: Autonomy Under Attack: Rights and Responsibilities in Roe
School: Guilford Park High School
Teacher: Allison Miller
*
Student: Ava Bergersen
Award: First Place, Senior Individual Website
Title: Loving v. Virginia: A Landmark for Love and Equality
School: Reservoir High School
Teacher: Jennifer Coker
*
Students: Tirzah Chan, Annabelle Wu, and Surie Zhang
Award: First Place, Senior Group Performance
Title: The Lasting Impact of Forever Chemicals: How the DuPont Case Altered Corporate Responsibility and Consumer Rights
School: River Hill High School
Teacher: Callie Casper
*
Student: Hemant Kantheti
Award: Senior Individual Exhibit, First Place
Title: Stamp of Silence: How The Comics Code Authority of 1954 Redefined Rights and Responsibilities in Pop Culture
School: Howard High School
Teacher: Danelle Brennan
*
Student: Chaitra Maddineni
Award: First Place, Junior Paper
Title: National Security vs. Freedom of The Press: The Legacy of The Pentagon Papers
School: Clarksville Middle School
Teachers: Margaret Brothman, Beth Ceglia, and Cass Mairs
*
Students: Riley Chan and Saarah Pirbhai
Award: Second Place, Junior Group Website
Title: Death by DuPont: A Story of Corporate Neglect
School: Bonnie Branch Middle School
Teachers: Steven Boone, Kara Nanni, and Sarah Russo
*
Students: Charlotte Conley, Elena Hamilton, and Elle McRae
Award: Second Place, Junior Group Performance
Title: Take A Stand: The Lowell Girls' Strike of 1836
School: Patuxent Valley Middle School
Teacher: Monica Chelidona
*
Student: Navya Dwivedi
Award: Second Place, Junior Individual Documentary
Title: Within the Shadows of Inequality: How Women Fought for Justice in American Spy Organizations
School: Clarksville Middle School
Teachers: Margaret Brothman, Beth Ceglia, and Cass Mairs
*
Students: Pierce Eatough, Tommy Layi-Ojo, and Aidan McGuire
Award: Second Place, Senior Group Performance
Title: Miranda Rights and Legal Responsibilities: Balancing Justice in America
School: Long Reach High School
Teacher: Lisa Milak
*
Students: Vihaan Jain and Neal Shandilya
Award: Second Place, Senior Group Documentary
Title: The Controversy Behind the First Amendment: New York Times Co. vs. United States
School: Howard High School
Teachers: Danelle Brennan and Leah Foran
*
Students: Mira Kalirai and Suriya Kalirai
Award: Second Place, Senior Group Website
Title: The Outer Space Treaty: Rights and Responsibilities in the Cosmos
School: River Hill High School
Teacher: Callie Casper
*
Students: Aryan Patel, Jas Shandilya, and Jack Topel
Award: Second Place, Junior Group Documentary
Title: Voices Against Tyranny: The White Rose
School: Bonnie Branch Middle School
Teachers: Steven Boone, Kara Nanni, and Sarah Russo
*
Students: Shiven Trambadia and Justin Wang
Award: Second Place, Senior Group Exhibit
Title: Blood Behind Bars: The Attica Prison Riot
School: Howard High School
Teacher: Danelle Brennan
*
Special Prize Winners:
Student: Max Moayedi
Award: Excellence in Indigenous History, sponsored by Baltimore Reservation Project
Title: The Cost of Colonization: Indigenous Rights in Jamestown
Category: Junior Individual Performance
School: Elkridge Landing Middle School
Teacher: Felicia O'Meara
*
Students: Kimberly Mueth and Sanjay Shenoy
Award: Senator Thomas V. Mike Miller, Jr. Award for Excellence in Government History, sponsored by Anonymous
Title: Patriot or Traitor: The Release of the Pentagon Papers
Category: Junior Group Documentary
School: Patapsco Middle School
Teacher: Matthew Dymek
*
Student: Emerson Vivrette
Award: Excellence in Latine History, sponsored by Anne Arundel County Executive Steuart Pittman
Title: El Movimiento: Chicano Identity and the Fight for Mexican American Civil Rights
Category: Junior Individual Website
School: Elkridge Landing Middle School
Teacher: Felicia O'Meara
*
Maryland History Day District Teacher of the Year:
Jennifer Coker, Reservoir High School
*
JUVENILE SERVICES EDUCATION PROGRAM
Special Prize Winner:
Student: Anonymous
Award: Award for Excellence in Historic Preservation, sponsored by Maryland Historical Trust
Title: Tangier Island
Category: Senior Individual Exhibit
School: Victor Cullen Center
Teacher: Sheila Leatherbury
*
Maryland History Day District Teacher of the Year:
Sheila Leatherbury, Victor Cullen Center
MONTGOMERY COUNTY
Advancers to National History Day:
Students: Delina Birhan, Maya Hassenplug, and Madeline Massey
Award: First Place, Junior Group Performance
Title: Silenced Voices: How Italian Fascism Caused a Delay in Italian Women’s Voting Rights
School: Eastern Middle School
Teacher: Abigail Petit
*
Students: Jacob Frias, Emmanuel Getahun, Nikhil Pandey, and Nuaimaan Tewfik
Award: First Place, Senior Group Website
Title: The Salute that Changed The World: The 1968 Black Power Salute
School: Poolesville High School
Teacher: Stephanie Gomer
*
Students: Melanie Guo, Honna Trinkl, and Selena Zhang
Award: First Place, Senior Group Exhibit
Title: The Holmesburg Experiments
School: Poolesville High School
Teacher: Stephanie Gomer
*
Students: Lillian Matragrano and Keira Oie
Award: First Place, Junior Group Exhibit
Title: Bloody Sunday: Death on the Streets of Derry
School: Silver Spring International Middle School
Teacher: Kevin Grimsland
*
Students: Maya Mourshed
Award: First Place, Junior Individual Performance
Title: Hello, Dolly!: How a Sheep Provoked Debate About the Implications of Breakthrough Scientific Advancements on Society
School: Francis Scott Key Middle School
Teacher: Steve O'Shaughnessy
*
Students: Kavya Rajkotia and Leena Rajkotia
Award: First Place, Junior Group Documentary
Title: Democracy’s Crucible: Rights Reborn, Responsibilities Reclaimed
School: Homeschool
Teacher: Yogesh Rajkotia
*
Student: Ishita Singh
Awards: First Place, Senior Paper AND Excellence in Labor History, sponsored by Bill Barry and Friends
Title: The Radium Girls: The Undead Fight for Worker Rights
School: Poolesville High School
Teacher: Andy Ward
*
Student: Chloe Chang
Awards: Second Place, Senior Individual Website AND Eugene J. Becker
Award for Excellence in Cyber Security and Cryptology, sponsored by National Cryptologic Foundation
Title: Making WAVES: The First Women's Reserve in the Navy
School: Poolesville High School
Teacher: Stephanie Gomer
*
Student: Skylar Dash
Award: Second Place, Senior Individual Exhibit
Title: The 1985 Bombing of Osage Avenue
School: Poolesville High School
Teacher: Stephanie Gomer
*
Students: Lydia Garside and Genevieve Lichtenberger
Award: Second Place, Junior Group Exhibit
Title: Women's Right to Vote: Before and After the 19th Amendment
School: Sligo Middle School
Teacher: Jason Smith
*
Student: Franka Hebisch
Award: Second Place, Junior Individual Performance
Title: Corporate Tyranny: Upholding Worker's and Women's Rights and Owners’ Responsibilities During the Match Girls Strike of 1888
School: Eastern Middle School
Teacher: Abigail Petit
*
Student: Imani Lovelace
Award: Second Place, Senior Individual Performance
Title: 2Pac, 2 Legacies: The Complex Impacts of Tupac Shakur
School: Poolesville High School
Teacher: Stephanie Gomer
*
Special Prize Winners:
Student: Jasper Benke
Award: Major General John E. Morrison Award for Excellence in STEM Education and Innovation, sponsored by National Cryptologic Foundation
Title: Balancing Safety and Security: Lessons from the 1979 Three Mile Island Nuclear Accident on US Energy Policy and Government Responsibility
Category: Senior Individual Website
School: Walt Whitman High School
Teacher: Peter Kenah
*
Student: Liliana Katz
Award: Excellence in History of Science and Technology, sponsored by the Department of History at University of Maryland, Baltimore County
Title: The Birth of Bioethics
Category: Senior Individual Documentary
School: The Bullis School
Teacher: Sara Romeyn
*
Students: Grace Kepka, Dalya Lippmann, and Lydia Tucker
Award: Michael E. Patten Memorial History Award for Best Use of Primary Sources, sponsored by the Frank Patten Family
Title: Balancing Rights and Responsibilities: Cigarette Advertising in the Late 20th Century
Category: Senior Group Exhibit
School: Montgomery Blair High School
Teacher: Marc Grossman
*
Students: Amelia Lancaster and Lauren Miller
Award: Senator Thomas V. Mike Miller, Jr. Award for Excellence in Government History, sponsored by Anonymous
Title: Lives in Balance
Category: Senior Group Documentary
School: Poolesville High School
Teacher: Stephanie Gomer
*
Students: Olivia Lawrence, Hadley Miller, and Clara Park
Award: Excellence in LGBTQ+ History, sponsored by Jeanne M. Marcus and Friends
Title: Frank Kameny’s Fight: Forging Gay Equality in the Government
Category: Senior Group Website
School: Poolesville High School
Teacher: Stephanie Gomer
*
Maryland History Day District Teacher of the Year:
Rachel Lunsford, North Bethesda Middle School
*
PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY
Advancers to National History Day:
Students: Jordan Badger and Amani Jones
Award: First Place, Junior Group Website
Title: Uprooted and Imprisoned: Executive Order 9066 and its Aftermath
School: Kenmoor Middle School
Teacher: Carol Carter
*
Student: Christopher Hill
Awards: First Place, Senior Individual Documentary AND Excellence in United States Military History, sponsored by Maryland Military Monuments Commission
Title: The Fight for The Right of Flight: The Tuskegee Airmen
School: Oxon Hill High School
Teacher: Adam Thomas
*
Special Prize Winners:
Students: Kamaal Aaron, Michael Ayodeji, and Kenson Okah
Award: Barry A. Lanman Award for Oral History Excellence, sponsored by Barry A. Lanman
Title: The Disguised Genocide
Category: Senior Group Documentary
School: Oxon Hill High School
Teachers: Elexis Brooks and Paul Mock
*
Maryland History Day District Teacher of the Year:
Victoria Patch, Eleanor Roosevelt High School
*
QUEEN ANNE’S COUNTY
Special Prize Winner:
Student: Caroline Shaw
Award: Excellence in Labor History, sponsored by Bill Barry and Friends
Title: Exposing Injustices: Muckrakers in the Progressive Era
Category: Junior Individual Exhibit
School: Centreville Middle School
Teacher: Andy Anders
*
Maryland History Day District Teacher of the Year:
Thomas Hayman, Centerville Middle School
ST. MARY’S COUNTY
Special Prize Winner:
Student: McKenna Stockman-Quade
Award: George Washington Leadership Prize, sponsored by George Washington’s Mount Vernon
Title: Forge Ahead! How Washington's Army Overcame Adversity, 1777-1778.
Category: Senior Individual Exhibit
School: Homeschool
Teacher: Carol Stockman-Quade
*
Maryland History Day District Teacher of the Year:
Leif Liberg, St. Mary’s Ryken High School
*
TALBOT COUNTY
Special Prize Winner:
Student: Annette Clougherty
Award: Excellence in Civic Action and Engagement, sponsored by Maryland Council for Social Studies
Title: Cow Wars
Category: Junior Individual Exhibit
School: Easton Middle School
Teacher: Lindsay Matthews
*
Maryland History Day Statewide Middle School Teacher of the Year:
Lindsay Matthews, Easton Middle School
***
About Maryland Humanities
Maryland Humanities creates and supports bold experiences that explore and elevate our shared stories to connect people, enhance lives, and enrich communities. For more information, visit www.mdhumanities.org. Maryland Humanities is generously supported by the National Endowment for the Humanities; the State of Maryland; the Citizens of Baltimore County; private foundations; corporations; small businesses; and individual donors. Connect with Maryland Humanities on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, LinkedIn, and YouTube.
About Maryland History Day
Maryland History Day is an affiliate of National History Day and a year-long educational program of Maryland Humanities. More than 26,000 middle and high school students create original projects that explore a historical topic of their choice on an annual theme. Professional development for teachers is offered through online courses and platforms, summer teacher institutes, workshops, and classroom outreach. Maryland Humanities produces Maryland History Day. For more information, visit www.MDHistoryDay.org. Connect with Maryland History Day on Facebook.
About National History Day ® (NHD)
NHD is a non-profit 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. Projects compete first at the local and affiliate levels, where the top entries are invited to the National Contest at the University of Maryland at College Park. NHD is sponsored in part by HISTORY®, the National Endowment for the Humanities, Patricia Behring Foundation, Diana Davis Spencer Foundation, World Education Foundation, the National Park Service, the 400 Years of African-American History Commission, the Better Angels Society, The Dr. Scholl Foundation, and individual donors. For more information, visit nhd.org.
Maryland Humanities creates and supports bold experiences that explore and elevate our shared stories to connect people, enhance lives, and enrich communities. For more information, visit www.mdhumanities.org. Maryland Humanities is generously supported by the National Endowment for the Humanities; the State of Maryland; the Citizens of Baltimore County; private foundations; corporations; small businesses; and individual donors. Connect with Maryland Humanities on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, LinkedIn, and YouTube.
About Maryland History Day
Maryland History Day is an affiliate of National History Day and a year-long educational program of Maryland Humanities. More than 26,000 middle and high school students create original projects that explore a historical topic of their choice on an annual theme. Professional development for teachers is offered through online courses and platforms, summer teacher institutes, workshops, and classroom outreach. Maryland Humanities produces Maryland History Day. For more information, visit www.MDHistoryDay.org. Connect with Maryland History Day on Facebook.
About National History Day ® (NHD)
NHD is a non-profit 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. Projects compete first at the local and affiliate levels, where the top entries are invited to the National Contest at the University of Maryland at College Park. NHD is sponsored in part by HISTORY®, the National Endowment for the Humanities, Patricia Behring Foundation, Diana Davis Spencer Foundation, World Education Foundation, the National Park Service, the 400 Years of African-American History Commission, the Better Angels Society, The Dr. Scholl Foundation, and individual donors. For more information, visit nhd.org.