Interested in taking your project to the next level? Get feedback from a team of
experts who will evaluate your project at a History Day contest. There are three
levels of competition:
- Regional History Days take place
in February and March. Students must attend a regional event to qualify for the
state contest. To find out more, check the list below, then contact your regional
coordinator.
- Washington State History Day is
scheduled for Saturday, May 5,2012, at Bellevue College. Registration information
is distributed at the regional events to students who qualify for the state competition.
- National History Day is held
at the University of Maryland, College Park, in mid-June. The top two finishers
in each category at the state contest qualify to attend the national contest.
Regional History Days
Regional boundaries generally follow county and/or ESD boundaries. Select a region
from the map for more information. Contact the
state coordinator if you are unsure which regional contest you should attend.
Eastern Washington Regional History Day
Coordinator:
Dr. Kathleen Huttenmaier
Eastern Washington University
Department of History
200 Patterson Hall
Cheney, WA 99004-2430
(509) 359-4824
Regional Event/Location: Saturday, February 25, Cheney
Entry Form Deadline: TBD
Counties included: Adams, Asotin, Benton, Columbia, Garfield, Ferry, Franklin, Lincoln,
Okanogan, Pend Oreille, Spokane, Stevens, Whitman, Walla Walla
Central Washington Regional History Day
Coordinator:
Matt Norling
West Valley Junior High
7505 Zier Road
Yakima, WA 98908
(509) 972-5841
Regional Event/Location: Saturday, March 17, Yakima
Entry Form Deadline: TBD
Counties included: Chelan, Douglas, Grant, Kittitas, Klickitat, Yakima
North Puget Sound Regional History Day
Coordinator:
Randy Schnabel
2116 N.E. 55th Street
Seattle, WA 98105
(206) 522-0654
Regional Event/Location: Wednesday, March 21, Shoreline
Entry Form Deadline: TBD
Counties included: King County north of Interstate 90 to the county border; Kitsap
(Bainbridge Island only)
Northwest Regional History Day
Coordinator:
JoAnn Olsson
Regional Event/Location: Saturday, March 10, Bellingham
Entry Form Deadline: TBA
Counties included: Island, San Juan, Skagit, Snohomish, Whatcom
Olympic Regional History Day
Coordinators:
Todd Beuke and
Tricia Billes
Sequim Middle School
301 Hendrickson Rd.
Sequim, WA 98382
(360)582-3500
Regional Event/Location: Monday, March 26, Bremerton
Entry Form Deadline: TBA
Counties included: Clallam, Grays Harbor, Jefferson, Kitsap (except Bainbridge Island),
Mason
South Puget Sound Regional History Day
Coordinators:
Brooks Hazen and Jim Sawatzki
Regional Event/Location: Thursday, March 29, Auburn
Entry Form Deadline: TBD
Counties included: King County south of I-90 to the county border, Pierce, Thurston
Southwest Washington Regional History Day
Coordinator:
Irene Soohoo
Pleasant Valley Middle School
14320 N.E. 50th Avenue
Vancouver, WA 98686
(360) 885-5500
Regional Event/Location: Saturday, February 25, Location TBD
Entry Form Deadline: TBA
Counties included: Clark, Cowlitz, Pacific, Skamania, Wahkiakum
Washington State History Day
The 2012 state contest will be held Saturday, May 5 at Bellevue College. A one-day
event, the contest runs from about 7:30am to 8:30pm, when the awards ceremony ends.
BEFORE THE CONTEST:
- ONLINE REGISTRATION: All attendees must register
online; teachers must register before their students. Teacher registration opens
February 27; student registration opens March 1 (family members and guests may register
anytime). Please read the appropriate tutorial(s) before you begin. Registration
fees are $30 per student entrant and $15 per teacher, coach or official chaperone.
To proceed to online tutorials and registration,
click here.
- REGISTRATION DEADLINE: The registration deadline
is Saturday, April 7, 2012 at 12:01 AM. All registrations after that date will be
charged a $25 late fee. To proceed to online tutorials and registration,
click here.
- CONTEST SCHEDULE: For a general schedule of contest
day, please download latest version of the schedule.
Note that this schedule is preliminary; final judging times will be sent the week
before the contest. The schedule provides important information about judging times
and policies, meals, and public viewing of exhibits, web sites and papers.
- LODGING: For lodging options near the Bellevue
College campus,
click here.
- CATEGORY REQUIREMENTS: Some categories have specific
submission requirements. Please read carefully, and refer to the Rule Book for complete
category information.
- PAPERS: Four (4) copies of papers (including
title page and annotated bibliography) must be received by the state office on Friday,
April 6, at 4:00 PM. Please collate papers so that each set includes one title page,
one paper, and one bibliography. Do not place papers in binders, folders, or other
covers. Print papers and supporting material on 8½” x 11” white paper, using 11-point
font minimum and 1-inch margins, and staple each set together. Send all materials
to: Washington History Day, 211 – 21st Avenue SW, Olympia, WA 98501.
- EXHIBITS: No paperwork is required before the
contest. Please check At the Contest for information about
setting up your exhibit.
- DOCUMENTARIES: No paperwork is required before
the contest. Please check At the Contest for information
about equipment provided.
- PERFORMANCES: No paperwork is required before
the contest. Please check At the Contest for information
about judging rooms and prop setup.
- WEB SITES: All History Day Web sites must be
created using the NHD Web Site portal at
http://www.nhd.org
(click “Start your Web Site here”). Please note that NO paperwork is required in
advance. Bibliographies and process papers must be integrated into the Web site
in accordance with the Rule Book. Web sites will be locked for judging at 12:01
AM on April 7, 2012. Please plan accordingly and “Publish” your site before the
deadline; otherwise, judges will not be able to view it.
- SPECIAL AWARDS: Students may self-nominate for
a variety of special awards during online registration. Some awards require paperwork
to be sent to the award sponsor before the contest; please read requirements carefully
and follow the instructions.
AT THE CONTEST:
- MAPS AND DIRECTIONS: For maps and directions
to Bellevue College,
click here. Students should plan to be on campus
one hour before their judging time.
- MEALS: If you registered online for meals, color-coded
tickets will be in the registration packet of the person who paid for the meals.
Do not lose the tickets; they are not replaceable and are your only means of access
to on-campus meals. Lunch is served 11:30AM-1:30PM; dinner is served 4:30-6PM. If
you did not register for meals, you may purchase them on site. All meals will be
served in the Cafeteria, ground floor of Building C. In addition, the coffee shop
in the lobby of Building C will be open all day; it features a full espresso menu
and assorted pastries and snacks. Vending machines are available in most buildings
as well. Please note that there are no restaurants within walking distance of the
campus.
- ARRIVAL and PARKING: When you arrive at campus,
use the main entrance. We suggest you park near the Gym, since that is the venue
for the awards ceremony (the last event of the day), in lots 16, 17, or 18. Parking
is free throughout campus. For exhibit drop off, please use parking lots 16, 17,
or 18. For a parking map of Bellevue College,
click here.
- REGISTRATION: Registration is open in the Gym
lobby (Building G) on Friday, May 4, from 5:30-8PM, and Saturday, May 5, from 7:30-10:30AM
(after 10:30AM, the registration desk moves to the lobby of Building C). Students
and teachers EACH need to pick up their own registration packets. Registration lines
can be long; please allow enough time.
- EXHIBIT SETUP: Exhibit students should bring
seven (7) copies of their title page, process paper and bibliography to the contest.
Three (3) copies should be left with the exhibit just before judging begins on Saturday;
judges will take these with them. After the preliminary round judging ends, students
should return to their exhibits by 1:45PM and leave three (3) copies for final round
judging in the afternoon. The extra copy is for emergencies—and there are always
emergencies, so be sure to bring enough copies with you. The Gym will be open for
exhibit set-up on Friday from 5:30-8PM and Saturday from 7:30-9:15AM only.
Do not wait until the last minute to set up your exhibit; the gym will close promptly
at 9:15AM for judging. Students must set-up their own exhibit; adult assistance
is allowed only for exceptionally heavy or awkward pieces. Contest staff will monitor
the Gym to ensure rule compliance.
- JUDGING: Exhibits, paper and website judging
is closed to the public. Paper and website judging begins at 9AM; all other categories
begin at 10AM. Paper and website students need no paperwork; the judges already
have it. Exhibit students will be called in a few minutes before their judge time
by a volunteer stationed at the Gym door. This is your opportunity to freshen the
exhibit, fix any loose ends, etc. Judges will introduce themselves and usually ask
students to wait for a few minutes while they read the paperwork and look at the
exhibit. Then they’ll conduct the interview. Each judging slot is 15 minutes long.
In performance and documentary categories, audience is welcome to attend but may
not ask questions. Cell phones must be turned off and talking should be kept to
a minimum to ensure that every student is offered the same opportunity and respect.
In the preliminary rounds, performance and documentary students are allowed five
minutes to set up, ten minutes to present their projects, and five minutes to tear
down. Judges typically ask questions during the last five minutes. Students in these
categories should bring seven (7) copies of their title page, process paper and
bibliography—three for the morning round, three for the afternoon round if they
advance, and one for emergencies.
Final round judging begins at 3PM, and no interviews are conducted; the project
must stand on its own. Students present their performance and/or documentary, including
time for setup and tear-down, but there are no questions. Audience members are encouraged
to attend all rounds and to cheer on all documentary and performance students. Students
are not present for final judging in exhibits, papers, and web sites.
- FINALS POSTING: Performance and documentary finalists
will be posted in the cafeteria (Building C, ground floor) at approximately 2PM.
Students who are advancing to finals should note their presentation time slot and
proceed to the appropriate room to prepare. Room schedules will be posted for easy
navigation; sandwich boards will be set up around campus as well. Paper, website
and exhibit finals are not posted; winners are announced at the awards ceremony.
- AWARDS: The Awards Ceremony begins at 6:30PM
in the Gym; doors open at 6PM. Sit with your teammates and cheer on everyone who
completed a History Day project! Awards generally last 90 minutes. When awards end,
only teachers may pick up packets with their students’ evaluation forms. Immediately
after awards, the top finishers, their parents and teachers stay behind to receive
information about the national trip. This generally takes about 45 minutes and is
absolutely essential.
- CODE OF CONDUCT: History Day participants are
guests on the Bellevue College campus and are expected to behave according to the
codes of conduct of their schools and the NHD Rule Book. Contest coordinators may
disqualify any student who violates this rule.
- CONTEST PROGRAMS: Complete contest programs for
juniors and
seniors can be found here for download. To keep printing costs down, we
do not offer printed programs; if you want a complete contest catalog, download
and print it from our website.
National History Day
The National History Day contest takes place over five days on the beautiful campus
of the University of Maryland, College Park, a short Metro ride from Washington,
DC. More than 2,500 students from around the world bring their projects and enjoy
meeting new friends, working with judges, and seeing everything the nation’s capital
has to offer. We strongly encourage travelers to stay with the Washington State
delegation in the dorms—it’s fun and reasonably priced. A five-night dorm and meal
package generally costs around $390. Plan on $100-200 for incidentals and transportation.
Roundtrip airfares vary; book as soon as possible after the state contest for the
best deals. Learn more at
National History Day.
Details about the Washington State delegation national contest plans are provided
after the state contest awards ceremony; the top two winners from each category,
along with their coaches, are required to attend this meeting.
Past Winners:
Click on the buttons below to see how Washington students have fared at the state
and national contests since 2005.
2010 State Contest Photos
For further History Day information, please contact the
state office at historyday@wshs.wa.gov.