Norwich and Mansfield Area Students Advance to Connecticut History Day State Contest

On March 8, 2021

AREA STUDENTS ADVANCE TO CONNECTICUT HISTORY DAY STATE CONTEST

Hartford, Conn.— The results are in! On Saturday, March 6, middle and high-school students from 9 Norwich area schools and 12 Mansfield/Storrs area schools competed in the 2021 Connecticut History Day Regional Contest. After a year of work, the students’ performances, documentaries, exhibits, websites, and papers were reviewed by panels of volunteer judges, and first, second, and third place winners have advanced to the virtual State Contest on May 1. Students that place in the top two at the State Contest will be eligible to participate in the National History Day Contest in June for a chance to win prestigious prizes, including scholarships.

For the complete list of winners and their schools, CLICK HERE.

The Norwich Region featured 91 projects by 110 students from Haddam-Killingworth Middle School, Lyme-Old Lyme Middle and High Schools, Nathan Hale Ray Middle School in East Haddam, Norwich Free Academy, Pine Point School in Stonington, Fitch High School in Groton, Stonington High School, and Wheeler High School in North Stonington.

Honored guests including State Sen. Cathy Osten, State Rep. Kevin Ryan, and Congressman Joe Courtney congratulated the students in virtual messages.

The Mansfield/Storrs Region included 103 entries by 142 students from E.O. Smith High School in Storrs, Arts at the Capitol Theater Magnet in Willimantic, Ellington High School, John F Kennedy Middle School in Enfield, Loomis Chaffee School and Madina Academy in Windsor, Manchester Middle School, Mansfield Middle School, Timothy Edwards Middle School in South Windsor, Vernon Center Middle School, Rockville High School in Vernon, and Windham Technical High School.

Special guests shared messages of congratulations to the students, including Mayor Antonia Moran, State Senator Mae Flexer, and Congressman Joe Courtney.

There are six Connecticut History Day Regional Contests this spring. They are the culmination of months of intense study and project development. Students choose topics related to the 2021 theme of Communication in History: The Key to Understanding, conduct research by interviewing experts and shape their findings into sound historical arguments. Working alone or in groups, students use their research to create projects in one of five categories – exhibits, documentaries, websites, papers, or performances.

After switching to an online format last year at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, contests are being run virtually this year. In an effort to enhance the experience for participants, CHD staff worked with their host schools and partners to create unique content exclusively for CHD students, including an escape room-style scavenger hunt from the Slater Memorial Museum and a special conversation with Dr. Mark Healy of UConn’s Department of History.

Follow Connecticut History Day on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter, or visit the program’s website at histordayct.org. Further information about National History Day can be found at nhd.org.

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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