“It is a wonderful way that you can do research and it does not just have to be a research paper.” says Upper School History teacher Mrs. Forsgard about National History Day (NHD). National History Day is a nationwide contest that will be held at the end of February in which students can produce a project about anyone in history who relates to the theme. This year’s theme is “taking a stand in history.”

Anyone at Montrose can take part in National History Day either by herself, or in a group of up to 5. There are 5 different divisions: exhibit, documentary, live performance, website or a research paper, which must be done individually. Each of these divisions are then split between the Junior (middle school) and Senior (upper school) divisions. These divisions allow all students, regardless of grade, to express their interest and passions through NHD.

Taking part in a nationwide contest can be a springboard to more opportunities, and doing well will greatly strengthen a college application. About 600,000 students nationwide take part in this sensational opportunity to meet new people and to show off their hard work. National History Day has three contest phases: regionals, states, and nationals. Students must qualify for states and nationals but anyone who produces a satisfactory project can attend regionals.  Mrs.Forsgard has been a part of National History Day for many years.  She has brought students to different NHD contest phases, and she has been a judge in several project divisions.

Mrs. Forsgard made National History Day part of her AP Modern European History curriculum and encourages all Montrosians to take part in the contest because, as she said, “the students here are just so clever, and the creativity we see here is just astounding.” So, if you want to use your creativity to meet new people and further your historical knowledge, National History Day is for you! For more information see https://www.nhd.org/, Mrs. Forsgard or your history teacher.