History Day in North Carolina

During the 2025–26 school year, more than 8,500 students from 89 schools in North Carolina participated in the National History Day® (NHD) program. Students researched topics related to the national theme, Revolution, Reaction, Reform in History, which NHD chose to support learning and mark America’s 250th anniversary. Thanks to the North Caroliniana Society’s sponsorship, teachers and students could take advantage of a wider range of opportunities this school year, including national-level programs. Three schools took part in the Silent Heroes™ program; seven teachers finished the six-month Researching Silent Heroes course; twelve teachers took part in the year-long “Revolutionary Ideals” course; three teachers and the state coordinator completed a four-month Historical Argumentation course; and a teacher-student team for North Carolina attended the Young People’s Continental Congress. The Society’s support also gave students free access to documentary-editing tools, helped cover registration fees for national competitors, and provided teachers statewide with free professional development and resources.

On May 3, 2026, the state competition at UNC Greensboro brought together 406 students and 69 teachers and mentors to showcase 244 projects from 63 schools. The projects were the finalists from nine regional contests. Following the state competition, 63 students presenting 36 projects advanced to the National Contest at the University of Maryland in College Park, representing 24 schools across ten counties. Two of the projects moving on to the national-level were the H.G. Jones NC History Award winners – Bode Smith (Junior Individual Documentary) and Reginald “Reggie” Bess II (Senior Individual Performance).

The national competition, which took place from June 13 to 19, gave NC students a week to participate in judging, attend workshops, visit museums, and engage in cultural exchange. Students from North Carolina stood out throughout the event. Hope Bailey of Hendersonville Middle earned the national bronze medal in the Junior Individual Performance category for her project on the creation of Braille. The Classical Scholars homeschool team from the Asheville area won the special prize for World War II and came seventh nationally with their Junior Group Performance on Soviet women pilots. Two students were awarded North Carolina Outstanding Entry medals: Madelyn Manchester of Holly Shelter Middle for her Junior Paper on John Chavis—this paper is set to be published in the Fall 2026 issue of the North Carolina Historical Review—and Maxwell Wagner of Middle Creek High for his Senior Individual Exhibit on the Bonus Army. Olivia Stetler of Wilmington Early College placed seventh nationally in her Senior Exhibit.

At the National Museum of American History, two projects from North Carolina have been chosen for special displays: one exhibit created by two students from Edge Academy in Edgecombe County and a performance by a student from Hendersonville Middle School. The students also took part in behind-the-scenes tours and workshops with Smithsonian staff. Moreover, Michelle Rutledge from the Wayne School of Engineering, who has been named NC History Day Middle School Teacher of the Year, has been named one of the top-five finalists for National Teacher of the Year.

~ Karen Ipock, Associate Director of Education/NC History Day Coordinator, Office of K-12 Education

North Carolina History Day is an official affiliate of National History Day and is administered by the NC Department of Natural & Cultural Resources Office of K-12 Education.