Connecticut History Day Honored with Award of Merit from Connecticut League of History Organizations

Hartford, Conn. – Connecticut History Day, a program of The Connecticut Democracy Center at Connecticut’s Old State House, has been honored with a 2021 Award of Merit from the Connecticut League of History Organizations (CLHO), for its success in coordinating the virtual State Contest during the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Connecticut History Day (CHD) is a year-long educational program, coordinated by The Connecticut Democracy Center (CTDC), during which students from across Connecticut conduct research, interview historians, develop arguments based on original analyses, and then create documentaries, exhibits, papers, performances, or websites designed to share what they’ve learned. Volunteer judges assess the projects at the regional and state level, determining which students advance to the National History Day Contest where thousands of students compete for prizes.

The CTDC was halfway through the usual, in person, Regional Contests, when the state began closing down due to COVID-19. CHD staff quickly changed course moving the in person contests to virtual contests to ensure students still had the opportunity to share their projects maintaining the integrity of the program.

In the award letter from CLHO, Executive Director Amrys O. Williams recognized the efforts of the CTDC. “The center deserves not only an award, but also our thanks for successfully shifting to a virtual format with little warning,” she wrote. “Students were allowed to share their work, the competition was completed fairly, and a sense of normality was preserved, which was especially important in 2020, when students were cut off from friends and so many academic activities.

”We are so grateful to CLHO for this award,” said Nicole Sousa, Hartford Regional Coordinator and Assistant State Coordinator for Connecticut History Day. “It was a challenge to maintain a sense of normalcy for Connecticut’s students during the height of the pandemic. To be able to provide them with a History Day Contest despite the challenges was extremely important to us. Thank you to CLHO for recognizing the time, energy, and work that went into this monumental project.”

The State Contest, held in May, was completely virtual and featured the work of 448 students from across the state and 146 volunteer judges from around the country.

“Like so many others, the pandemic caused us to have to pivot last year and run the State Contest as a virtual Contest,” added Rebecca Taber-Conover, Head of Connecticut History Day at The Connecticut Democracy Center at Connecticut’s Old State House. “We were incredibly impressed with the quality of work that Connecticut students produced during a year of unprecedented challenges. They are a true inspiration.”

According to the Connecticut League of History Organizations, Awards of Merit are presented to institutions and individuals who “demonstrate the highest of professional standards, and who enhance and further the understanding of Connecticut history. The purpose of the Awards of Merit is to recognize the care, thought and effort invested in these contributions and to inspire and encourage others by acknowledging exceptional contributions to state and local history. The mere fulfillment of routine functions does not justify an award. Action over and above the ordinary call of duty is prerequisite for an Award of Merit.”

The challenge in 2020 was finding a way to make virtual contests as rewarding as “normal” contests, where thousands of Connecticut students come together for lively competitions. Despite the challenges of the pandemic, CHD students rose to the challenge and persevered to do great historical research and create creative and thoughtful projects.

Connecticut History Day is coordinated by The Connecticut Democracy Center at Connecticut’s Old State House. An affiliate program of National History Day, CHD promotes the study of history in schools – including public, private, and home schools – to create a higher degree of appreciation for the value of historical thought in students, educators, and community members who participate. CHD creates college and career-ready citizens of the future by engaging students in rigorous, inquiry-based academic research projects.

CHD conforms to the College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Framework for Social Studies Connecticut State Standards and Connecticut’s new Social Studies Frameworks.

CHD is presented with major funding and partnership support from CT Humanities. Program support is given by the Upper Housatonic Valley National Heritage Area and the New Haven Museum. Follow Connecticut History Day on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, and visit the program’s website at histordayct.org.

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