National History Day

Support of National History Day (NHD) is a central component of our public outreach. Each year, the history department appoints two graduate students and supports dozens of undergraduate mentors dedicated to helping middle and high school students (and their teachers) achieve success at regional, state, and national competitions.

A gathering of students for National History Day MN

NHD graduate assistants work in cooperation with the Minnesota Historical Society to provide students and teachers with vital support during the research and writing phases of their projects. For example, we host field trips for students to U of M libraries, where they can learn about university library resources and find primary and secondary sources for their projects. Graduate assistants also facilitate interviews with faculty for those students who wish to speak with an expert on their subject.

NHD assistants also support undergraduate mentors who travel to dozens of schools in the metro area. Each undergraduate mentor is assigned to one teacher at one school and spends a total of 100 hours mentoring middle or high school students from November through April. The history department, along with the Minnesota Historical Society, also hosts the Minnesota State History Day competition each May at Coffman Memorial Union on the East Bank of the University of Minnesota.

The history department is dedicated to supporting middle and high school students and their teachers through the entire process of conceiving, researching, and presenting the research project at all levels of competition. Faculty, and especially NHD graduate assistants and undergraduate mentors at the U, are excited to share their passion for history with the next generation of history scholars.

The University of Minnesota Libraries have helpful information for History Day participants as well.