McLean Middle School Student Takes First Place At National History Day Contest

MCLEAN, VA — Ethan Zhang, a Cooper Middle School student from McLean, won first place in the paper category at the 2026 National History Day National Contest, held last week at the University of Maryland, College Park.

Zhang’s winning project was titled “From Revolutionaries to Reluctant Reformers: The Remaking of China’s Sent-Down Generation.”

The national contest brought together nearly 3,000 middle and high school students from across the country and around the world to present original history projects developed over the course of the school year.

Students Competed In Five Categories

This year’s theme was “Revolution, Reaction, Reform in History,” timed to coincide with the commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.

Students presented projects in five categories: documentary, exhibit, performance, website and paper. The contest included junior and senior divisions, with finalists advancing from local, regional and state competitions that involved hundreds of thousands of students.

“It is inspiring to see so many students engage with primary sources, craft their own historical arguments, and dedicate a school year to researching a topic they are passionate about,” said National History Day Executive Director Dr. Cathy Gorn. “This year, as our nation’s democracy is at the forefront of everyone’s mind, it is especially empowering for students to take on the theme Revolution, Reaction, Reform in History. Every NHD student should be proud of their research and accomplishments.”

National History Day Honored Students, Teachers

In addition to national award winners, 21 special prizes sponsored by partners including the National Park Service and the Library of Congress were awarded to students across all categories and divisions. Special prizes included African American history, immigration history, Indigenous history and women’s history.

During the contest, National History Day also honored Ann Jackson of B.R. Miller Middle School in Marshalltown, Iowa, and Josh Elders of Peters Township Middle School in McMurray, Pennsylvania, with the 2026 National History Day Teacher of the Year Award in the junior and senior divisions, respectively. The winners were selected from 78 middle and high school teacher nominees from National History Day affiliates around the world.

National History Day, a nonprofit organization based in College Park, Maryland, was established in 1974 and engages more than half a million students each year in original historical research, according to the organization.

A full list of the 2026 National History Day Contest winners can be viewed online.