National History Day
National History Day (NHD) Georgia is a program of Georgia Humanities and LaGrange College. NHD encourages middle and high school students to engage more deeply in historical research and analysis.
About National History Day Georgia
Over the course of the school year, students select a topic related to a yearly theme and develop their projects through extensive primary and secondary source research. The theme for 2025 is “Rights & Responsibilities in History.”
Under the guidance of a sponsoring teacher, students choose both their subject matter and a vehicle to present their research within the following categories: documentary, exhibition, paper, performance, or website. NHD attracts thousands of participants each year, and competitions occur at the regional, state, and national levels.
The Topic Explorer Has Moved!
Looking for the Georgia Topic Explorer? You can find it at its new home on the New Georgia Encyclopedia! Explore over 40 topic ideas to jumpstart your research, including images, contextual information, and primary source samples from the Digital Library of Georgia.
“It is inspiring to research and share untold stories with the public. I learned how to do that through National History Day.”
—Dr. Amma Y. Ghartey-Tagoe Kootin, National History Day alumnus
Getting Started
The National History Day Georgia website offers valuable information. Find answers to common questions and learn how to register for the program here.
Get Involved
Volunteers play a crucial role in National History Day Georgia at every level of competition. Learn more about how you can contribute to the National History Day experience in Georgia as a judge or as a day of event volunteer.
National History Day Georgia News
Announcing the Winners of the 2025 NHD Georgia State Contest
Congratulations to all the students, teachers, parents, and volunteers who participated in the National History Day Georgia 2025 state contest at LaGrange College!
More than 500 students from across the state presented their historical research projects, supported by over 100 judge volunteers who donated their time and expertise to determine the winners.
This year, 66 Georgia students qualified for the June 2025 national contest at the University of Maryland. Click here to see a list the complete list of state contest winners »
Congrats again to all who participated—and good luck, Team Georgia!
Teachers Selected for the 2025 NHD Georgia Teacher of the Year Award
The National History Day Georgia Teacher of the Year Award recognizes a middle and high school teacher who demonstrate a commitment to engaging students in historical learning through innovative use of primary sources, implementation of active learning strategies to foster historical thinking skills, and participation in the National History Day Contest.
This award is generously sponsored by Alisa A. and Joseph B. Alonso in recognition of the pivotal role teachers play in the lives of students and comes with a monetary prize.
Congratulations to this year’s winners:
- Junior Division: Matthew Cook (General Ray Davis Middle School, Rockdale County Schools)
- Senior Division: Beth Smith (Smith Home Academy, Jackson County)
Teachers Selected for 2025 NHD Georgia Classroom Award
The National History Day Georgia Classroom Award supports National History Day program efforts in high-needs classrooms. The award comes with a monetary prize paid directly to the educator to meet their National History Day classroom or school needs. This award is generously sponsored by Alisa A. and Joseph B. Alonso and Edward Jones.
Congratulations to this year’s awardees:
- Carmella D. Blackmon (Dekalb Arts Academy, Dekalb County Schools)
- Mehul Gandhi (Putnam County Middle School, Putnam County Schools)
- Karrie Nelson (M.D. Roberts Middle School of The Performing Arts, Clayton County Schools)
Georgia Teacher and Students Will Research Untold Stories from Veterans
Congratulations to Mr. Chance Giddens of Troup County High School in LaGrange, who is among 48 teachers selected for National History Day’s new program: “Silent Heroes: Untold Stories from the Korean War.” This unique initiative—funded by the Veterans Legacy Program at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs—brings together teachers and students from across the country to honor Veterans through research and storytelling. Mr. Giddens and his students will meet regularly with professional historians and mentors as they work to write Silent Hero profiles of their selected veterans: U.S. Army Corporal Shigeru Ito and U.S. Air Force Corporal Shirley Jean Tinker Thomas, who are memorialized at Fort Mitchell National Cemetery in Alabama.
Continue reading to learn more about Silent Heroes »
Georgia Students Shine at the National History Day National Contest
The National History Day National Contest was held June 9-13, 2024, at the University of Maryland, College Park.
More than 60 students from Georgia joined thousands from across the country and around the world to participate in the National History Day National Contest.
Competing in junior and senior divisions, students presented their award-winning projects, including papers, performances, documentaries, exhibits, and websites, reflecting the theme “Turning Points in History.”
We are so proud of the accomplishments of Team Georgia: two projects placed in the top 5 in their respective categories, another finished in the top 10, four projects placed within the top 20, and five more made it into the top 30. Four Georgia student projects were also featured in the National History Day documentary, exhibit, and performance showcases, competitive events hosted in partnership with the Smithsonian. And one junior group brought home the American Labor History Prize sponsored by the American Labor Studies Center.
Explore the complete list of NHD Georgia’s national contest results »
Congratulations to all who participated in National History Day 2024!
NHD Georgia Students Selected for Prestigious Smithsonian Showcases
Four student projects from Team Georgia have been selected for Smithsonian Showcases during the National History Day National Contest.
Madelyn Reardenz of Ola High School will represent Georgia in the Smithsonian National Museum of American History exhibit showcase with her project “Maynard for Mayor.”
Nia Stephens, a student at DeKalb Elementary School of the Arts, will see her documentary “Out with the Old and In with the New: A New Economic Pathway for Black Women” screened at the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.
Two groups from Georgia will also be featured in the Smithsonian National Museum of American History performance showcase. Jasmine Akeman, Joanna Carney, Rubi Xruz, and Leightan Koff from Liberty Tech Charter Academy will present their project, “Ghost Girls: The Living Dead.” Kayla DeBlois, Nevaeh Dowell, Chana Oden, and Morgan Walker of Ola Middle School will share their performance, “The Washerwomen Strike of 1881.”
Learn more about the showcases »
NHD Partners
State Contest Host
Regional Competition Sponsors
Regional competition sponsors include Augusta University; Clayton County Schools; DeKalb County Schools; Henry County Schools; Kennesaw State University; LaGrange College; Middle Georgia State University; Robert Toombs Christian Academy; Rockdale County Schools; Thomas County Schools; and the University of Georgia.
