Middlebury Students Take Home Awards in CT History Day Competition

45 excited students participated in Connecticut History Day, an annual event that is the culmination of the History Day in Connecticut program.  The program was held on April 30 at Classical Magnet High School and the Connecticut Historical Society.  Senator Richard Blumenthal sent a letter of congratulations that was read at the Awards Ceremony.

State competitors were identified from a pool of contestants at five regional contests throughout the state.  First- and second-place winners at the state competition will advance to the National History Day contest, set for June 15-19 at the University of Maryland at College Park.  Additionally, students were awarded one of the 11 donor-sponsored special awards, including the Outstanding Entry in Connecticut History and the Outstanding Entry Related to Civics, Government or Citizenship. A few of the student projects will be featured in the fall issue of Connecticut Explored.

The state competition involved students in grades 6- 12, with separate categories for the Junior Division (grades 6-8) and Senior Division (grades 9-12). In each division, there are nine contest categories, which provide for individual and group projects in formats ranging from traditional written papers to dramatic performances, documentaries, and exhibits.

A diverse range of entries marked this year’s state contest, including a performance on Amelia Earhart, an exhibit highlighting the 1970s UK Punk Movement, and a website exploring Brown vs. the Board of Education. Students from across the state brought a wide range of additional topics to the competition. Many of the student projects will be on display at Connecticut’s Old State House from June 11 until the end of August.

National History Day is the nation’s leading educational program for history education in the schools.  The program annually engages more than half a million students across the nation.  Students research history topics of their choice related to an annual theme and create exhibits, documentaries, performances, and papers, which they may enter in competitions at the district, state, and national levels.  A recently released evaluation study found that NHD students outperform their academic peers of a similar level.

The following Middlebury students placed and won awards during Connecticut History Day:

Individual Exhibits
SECOND
The Scopes Trial: Evolutionists vs. Creationists
Memorial Middle School, Middlebury
Timothy Cohn

Group Exhibits
THIRD
It's a Jungle Out There
Memorial Middle School, Middlebury
Christian Santa Maria, Erin Duley, Heather Weber, Gabriella Battaglia, Alison Iaiennaro

Group Documentary
FIRST
The Space Race
Memorial Middle School, Middlebury
Robert Bickley, Chris DiCorpo

Group Website
THIRD
The Atomic Bomb: Was Truman Right or Wrong?
Memorial Middle School, Middlebury
Jonathan Bedosky, Christopher Horn, Brendon Hessler, Javier Isham

Bill Brayfield Award for First Place Junior Group Documentary
Memorial Middle School, Middlebury
Robert Bickley, Chris DiCorpo

Award for Outstanding Use of Primary Sources
Memorial Middle School, Middlebury
Christian Santa Maria & Erin Duley & Heather Weber & Gabriella Battaglia & Alison Iaiennaro