National History Day - California Program Sends 87 Students to National History Day Finals at University of Maryland

COSTA MESA, Calif., June 20, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Eighty-seven students from schools across California represented the state at the National History Day finals at the University of Maryland this week.  More than 2,700 competitors from 50 states, U.S. possessions and Department of Defense schools around the world presented their projects to the judges, who included historians, museum curators, teachers and archivists.  

National History Day, a year-long effort in which students learn history by becoming historian, is an evidence-based academic program that supports the newly adopted national Common Core Standards Initiative.  Students conduct extensive research, interview experts and witnesses to historical events, and create projects that reflect what they learned.  The program concludes with an internationally recognized academic competition each year.

California boasted 17 projects that gained ranking in their categories, encompassing 44 students in total.  Of those, 9 students comprised two projects that garnered first-place standing in category.  Additionally, two individuals (a student and a teacher) received special recognition and $5,000 prizes from the History Channel.

California projects ranked in their respective categories included:

Day-McKellar Preparatory School, San Diego County

Mikela Chatfield, Alfreda Shelton, Nick Young, Maxwell Major, Thomas Day

• Junior Group Performance
• "Preserving Olympic Principles: The 1980 Olympic Games"
• 1st Place in Category, National Endowment for the Humanities Scholar Award

Francis Parker School, San Diego County

Michela Rodriguez, Jasmine Anklesaria, Sabrina Devereaux, Gwendolyn Gardiner

• Senior Group Performance
• "One War at a Time: Debate & Diplomacy of the Trent Affair"
• 1st Place in Category, National Endowment for the Humanities Scholar Award

Kate Lemberg, Katherine Owens, Audrey Yang, Arielle Swedback

• Senior Group Web Site
• "On the Brink: Debate & Diplomacy in the Cuban Missile Crisis"
• 3rd Place in Category

Anoushka Bose

• Junior Individual Web Site
• "Environmentalism and the Hetch Hetchy Debate"
• 5th Place in Category

Santa Rosa Middle School, Sonoma County

Stacey Olson

• Junior Historical Paper
• "The Camp David Accords: A Triumph of Diplomacy"
• 2nd Place in Category

Fruitvale Junior High School, Kern County

Julia Castro, Makay Moss, Brooke Richter, Morgan Kaess, Grace Park

• Junior Group Performance
• "Exodus 1947: The Consequence of Failed Diplomacy"
• 4th Place in Category, Outstanding State Entry Junior Division for California

Buchanan High School, Fresno County

Robyn Young

• Senior Individual Performance
• "Debating the Armenian Question: Diplomatic Successes, Failures and Consequences"
• 4th Place in Category

Sequoia Middle School, San Bernardino County

Frank Ramirez Suarez, Daniel Blanco, Jacob Randolph

• Junior Group Exhibit
• "The Yalta Conference"
• 7th Place in Category

Vista Heights Middle School, Riverside County

Lelah Ericson

• Junior Individual Performance
• "Citizen 13660: Debating Japanese Internment"
• 7th Place in Category

Spring View Middle School, Placer County

Natasha Szombathy

• Junior Individual Web Site
• "The Munich Agreement: A Peace of Paper?"
• 7th Place in Category

Acaciawood School, Orange County

Brandon Valdez, David Kayekjian, Nehemiah Yap

• Senior Group Performance
• "Debating the Status of a Person: The Consequences of the Diplomatic Compromise at the Constitutional Convention of 1787"
• 8th Place in Category

Summit High School, San Bernardino County

Shannon Lasiter, Magnum Terrazas, Norman Zeledon, Sean Burford

• Senior Group Exhibit
• "A Framework for Peace: The Camp David Accords"
• 9th Place in Category

Windemere Ranch Middle School, Contra Costa County

Julienne Sauer

• Junior Individual Exhibit
• "The Cable Car Wars: A City Debates to Preserve Its Character"
• 10th Place in Category

Earl Warren Junior High School, Kern County

Srutipriya Malay, Po Tsui, Shreya Banerjee

• Junior Group Documentary
• "Iranian Hostage Crisis"
• 12th Place in Category

Sierra Vista Middle School, Orange County

Kaitlyn Xiong, Catherine Liu, Claire Lin, Evelyn Syau

• Junior Group Documentary
• "The Cuban Missile Crisis"
• 13th Place in Category

Vista del Lago High School, Riverside County

Sierra Wentz

• Senior Historical Paper
• "Temples in the Heart of Man: The Debate Over the Highest Use of Hetch Hetchy Valley and the Legislation Involved"
• 14th Place in Category

Saratoga High School, Santa Clara County

Anushree Dugar

• Senior Historical Paper
• "The Colorado River Compact: Assuaging the Thirsty Southwest"
• 4th Place in Category, Outstanding State Entry Senior Division for California

California also received two special awards, both from the History Channel.  Student Robyn Young of Buchanan High School in Fresno County received the Outstanding Entry on an International Theme Award with a $5,000 scholarship.  Whitney Olson, National History Day Coordinator for Sonoma County, was honored as National Educator of the Year with a $5,000 prize.

In addition, Cherie Redelings and Carson Scott from Francis Parker Day School in San Diego were selected through a competitive process as one of 15 teacher-student pairs from across the country to participate in the Normandy Institute, which immediately follows the National History Day competition.  Funded by philanthropist Albert Small, the Normandy Institute includes several days of academic seminars followed by travel to Normandy and other significant destinations in France related to WWII and the Battle of Normandy.

For photos and examples of student projects, visit www.historydaycalifornia.org.    National History Day - California is provided through a coalition of counties and coordinated by the Orange County Department of Education.

SOURCE National History Day - California

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