History Day L.A. is connected to National History Day (NHD), a highly regarded
academic program for elementary and secondary school students. Each year, more than half a million
students, encouraged by thousands of teachers nationwide participate in the History Day contest across
the nation. Students choose historical topics related to a theme and conduct extensive primary and
secondary research through libraries, archives, museums, oral history interviews and historic sites. After
analyzing and interpreting their sources and drawing conclusions about their topics' significance in
history, students present their work in original papers, websites, exhibits, performances and
documentaries. These products are entered into competitions in the spring at local, state and national
levels where they are evaluated by professional historians and educators. The program culminates in the
Kenneth E. Behring National Contest each June held at the University of Maryland at College Park.
In addition to discovering the exciting world of the past, History Day also helps students develop the following attributes that are critical for future success:
- critical thinking and problem-solving skills
- research and reading skills
- oral and written communication and presentation skills
- self esteem and confidence
- a sense of responsibility for and involvement in the democratic process
More than 5 million students have gone on to careers in business, law, medicine and countless other disciplines where they are putting into practice what they learned through History Day. History Day L.A. is the local contest for students in Los Angeles County. Winning team members compete at the state competition, National History Day – California.