The Pinellas County History Fair has had its own journey to get where it is today. With small beginnings, it has grown into a truly county-wide event and a participant in even the national level.

In 1998, Alan Kay, a teacher at Dunedin High School initiated the Pinellas County History Fair. Having been the coordinator for the fair in Hillsborough, Kay had both state and national experience. For the first several years, participation was quite small. Indeed, in 1998, no students from Pinellas even progressed to States. By 1999 a team was sent by Kay to Tallahassee and again in 2000. Mini grants were awarded by the Pinellas Education Foundation and the fair was beginning to make a name for itself. In 2001, the Florida International Museum sponsored the fair and a new middle school was added under the leadership of Barbara Thomas. In 2002, Pinellas History Fair is at its largest participation ever. With 4 schools and over 200 students we hope the fair will finally attract enough attention to become a true county-wide event.

1998: Dunedin High School holds small fair with 30 students.

1999: Dunedin High School holds fair with 150 students, sends 35 to states.

2001: Florida International Museum sponsors fair. Southside Fundamental enters the competition under the leadership of Barbara Thomas and sends 25 students to states in the junior category along with the 40 from Dunedin High School.

Alan Kay is awarded Florida History Fair teacher of the year and is a National Finalist.

2002: Dunedin High School again sponsors the fair. Deborah Pettingill from Largo High, Jennifer Monteiro from Oak Grove Middle and Barbara Thomas from Southside Fundamental participate. 42 students from Pinellas attend states. Dunedin sends two more students, Dane Boston and Alexa Zolkower to Nationals in Washington D.C.

Alexa Zolkower's project, "Burke and Hare," is displayed in the National Museum of Health and Medicine for the summer, and she is interviewed on C-SPAN.

2002 Fall: ShoreCrest Preparatory joins the fair along with the other schools from previous year.

2007:  Largo Library sponsors the fair for the first time.

          Pinellas County sends more projects to states than any other county for the first time ever!

2008:  Heritage Village joins in to sponsor the fair.

2009:  USF St. Pete takes over sponsorship of Pinellas History Fair.