Presentation: Getting Students Involved In History

How can you get intermediate and high school students interested in history?

A Case Western Reserve history professor nearly forty years ago came up with an idea: a history contest. He called it History Day, and it has since grown from a local to a state and then a national competition—National History Day.

Mary Manning, coordinator of the Ohio District 3 contest at the Western Reserve Historical Society, will visit Lakewood Public Library to explain the program at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, October 19, 2022. The event will take place in the Main Library Auditorium.

The contest is open to students of all schools, including home schools, from grades six to twelve. Students compete individually or in small groups in five categories: historical papers, websites, documentaries, performances, and exhibits. Winners in each category may go on to the state contest in Columbus and from there to the national contest in College Park, Maryland.

Besides knowledge, interest, and experience gained along the way, students are also eligible for special prizes ranging from cash awards to college scholarships. In recognition of its role as the “Birthplace of History Day,” Case Western Reserve has offered a full four-year scholarship as a prize at the national level.

“Frontiers in History” will be the theme for History Day 2023. District 3 History Day will take place at University Circle in early March 2023. After two years of virtual contests, Manning has high hopes for hosting a live event.

Please join us at Lakewood Public Library on Wednesday, October 19, 2022 at 7:00 p.m. as Mary Manning discusses the benefits for participants and provides samples of local National History Day entries. This program is presented in partnership with the Lakewood Historical Society.

John Vacha is a former board member of the Lakewood Historical Society.