Plymouth State University Honors Budding Historians as Part of New Hampshire’s Celebration of National History Day
More than 144 students from 29 New Hampshire middle and high schools gathered at Plymouth State University (PSU) on Friday, April 11, to celebrate National History Day (NHD) in New Hampshire (NHDNH) and compete in the annual State National History Competition, the heart of a project-based learning experience for sixth- through 12th-grade students in the Granite State.
Mason Gower (right) of Barrington, New Hampshire, won second place in Senior Individual Performance. Pictured here with Professor Kelsie Brook Eckert (left), coordinator of Social Studies Education at Plymouth State University and coordinator of the National History Day in New Hampshire program.
Students submitted projects in five different categories, including group and individual documentaries, exhibitions, performances, websites and research papers. Each category was divided into “junior” for middle school students and “senior” for high school students. First- and second-place winners in each category will attend NHD’s National Contest event in Washington, DC, in June; third-place winners in each category will serve as alternates.
Five additional “special prizes” were awarded for submissions in civic history, New Hampshire history, maritime history, Black history and women’s history.
“We study history not to rewrite the past, but to better understand what makes us human: empathy, foresight, cooperation, self-reflection and our capacity for progress, even in these turbulent times,” said Professor Kelsie Brook Eckert, coordinator of Social Studies Education at Plymouth State and coordinator of the National History Day in New Hampshire program. “Some of New Hampshire’s brightest young minds took on something difficult – crafting arguments and developing presentations based on deep research into meaningful topics - and did it extremely well. This is a brave, brilliant group of young changemakers, and they give me hope for our future.”
Kingswood Regional Middle School student Kenzie Beglinger (left) won first place for Individual Exhibit. Pictured here with Professor Kelsie Brook Eckert (right), coordinator of Social Studies Education at Plymouth State University and coordinator of the National History Day in New Hampshire program.
This year’s celebration marked the 22nd year at Plymouth State and the 51st year nationally of inspiring students to study history, learn about the past and make connections to their own lives and times.
A complete list of category and special prize winners has been posted here.
Also honored at the celebration were NHDNH Teachers of the Year Susan Connelly, a history teacher at Hollis Brookline Middle School, and Joshua Beer, a social studies teacher at Fall Mountain Regional High School. Both Connelly and Beer were cited for their ongoing commitment to learning and for their support of National History Day in New Hampshire.
Major sponsorship for NHDNH was provided by New Hampshire Humanities and by the Library of Congress’ Teaching with Primary Sources program, which contributed $25,000.
National History Day in New Hampshire's special prize sponsors include NH Civics, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Manchester, the New Hampshire Historical Society, the Association for Historical Studies, the Maritime Historical Society and the Remedial Herstory Project.
National History Day programs reach over half a million students worldwide every year, empowering them with tools to conduct research, verify sources and become active members of a democratic society. Each year, students around the world discover history through NHD by creating historical research projects. Through the process, students develop communication, project management and historically informed critical thinking skills.
About Plymouth State University: Established in 1871, Plymouth State University serves the state of New Hampshire and the world beyond by transforming our students through advanced practices where engaged learning produces well-educated undergraduates, and by providing graduate education that deepens and advances knowledge and enhances professional development. The Plymouth State Cluster Learning Model emphasizes open, integrative, and project-based experiences. With distinction, we connect with community and business partners for economic development, technological advances, healthier living, and cultural enrichment with a special commitment to service to the North Country and Lakes Region of New Hampshire. To learn more about Plymouth State University, visit www.plymouth.edu.
