Why Support NHD?

The recent presidential election has shown that all students should become active citizens and appreciate our nation’s history.  NHD helps students become better prepared and more knowledgeable citizens.  Over 700,000 students, their families and teachers participate annually in this unique program. Through NHD young Americans are not only developing an appreciation of their heritage, but essential life skills that will help them succeed in school, college and the workplace.

In July 2000, The United States House and Senate unanimously passed a resolution decrying the poor state of history education in America.  Noting that a basic knowledge of history is "essential to a full and informed participation in civic life and to the larger vibrancy of our experiment in self-government," the resolution calls for a national response to what it describes as "the nation’s growing ignorance of American history."  NHD is an excellent model to challenge this "crises of historical illiteracy."  NHD provides students both the content (knowledge of the past), and the skills (research, critical thinking, analytical) necessary for a basic understanding of history.

Judging

One of the best ways to get involved in History Day is to help judge projects. Many adults in the community have found judging to be a rewarding, entertaining, and educational experience. The most common complaint ever heard from judges is that there are too many interesting projects to pick from.

Interested in judging or want to learn more? You can read the Judges Handbook to give you a better idea of the judging process, and the sample program will show you the proceedings of the History Day fair and types of projects presented. Please refer to the contacts in our Contact Us section to get in touch with someone about judging.

Monetary Contribution

Pinellas History Fair needs sponsors because the task of advertising, organizing, awarding and sending students to states is an involved and sometimes costly project. There are the costs of the awards themselves, (we would also like to give out prizes or scholarships but cannot as of yet) transportation, accommodations, printing the programs, t-shirts for the participants and registration at the State and National Competitions. Most importantly, an exceptional level of sponsorship could allow the fair to be named after the sponsor.

Benefits to the sponsors would include media recognition as well as advertising on t-shirts, at the fair itself and on the programs.

I hope you will seriously consider becoming involved in this worthwhile endeavor. If you would like to speak with me more or have me present to a group please feel free to contact me, Alan Kay, Pinellas County History Fair Coordinator at East Lake High School.