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The Theme for entries in the 2011-2012 Contest is:
Revolution, Reaction and Reform in History.

Please refer to the 2012 Theme Sheet.
You may also view the entire 2012 NHD Theme Book, which includes a list of sample topics.

The Co-State Coordinators of Massachusetts History Day are:
Robert Jones
William Szachowicz

Massachusetts is divided into five districts:
South Shore, Greater Boston, North Shore,Central and Western.

District Competitions
Please refer to the district pages for information about each district competition.

The Massachusetts State Competition:
Date: March 31, 2012
Location: Stoneham High School

The Kenneth E. Behring National History Day Contest
Date: June 10-14, 2012
Location: The University of Maryland/College Park

What is Massachusetts History Day?

Massachusetts History Day (MHD) is the state affiliate of National History Day (NHD), which is a highly regarded academic program for elementary and secondary school students.

Each year, more than half a million students, encouraged by thousands of teachers nationwide participate in the NHD contest. Students choose historical topics related to a theme and conduct extensive primary and secondary research through libraries, archives, museums, oral history interviews and historic sites. After analyzing and interpreting their sources and drawing conclusions about their topics’ significance in history, students present their work in original papers, websites, exhibits, performances and documentaries. These products are entered into competitions in the spring at local, state and national levels where they are evaluated by professional historians and educators. The program culminates in the Kenneth E. Behring National Contest each June held at the University of Maryland at College Park.

In addition to discovering the exciting world of the past, NHD also helps students develop the following attributes that are critical for future success:

critical thinking and problem-solving skills
research and reading skills
oral and written communication and presentation skills
self esteem and confidence
a sense of responsibility for and involvement in the democratic process

More than 5 million students have gone on to careers in business, law, medicine and countless other disciplines where they are putting into practice what they learned through NHD.