Students in Hartford and Torrington Regions to Compete in Connecticut History Day Contests

HARTFORD AND TORRINGTON AREA STUDENTS TO COMPETE THIS SATURDAY IN
REGIONAL CONNECTICUT HISTORY DAY CONTESTS

Students compete to advance to the State Contest in May

Hartford, Conn. – Connecticut History Day continues its 2021 virtual Regional Contests on Saturday, March 13, for students in the Hartford and Torrington regions. Connecticut History Day (CHD) is the annual year-long academic program for middle and high-school students that culminates in a series of regional contests leading up to a state contest in May and a national contest in June, where students compete to win prestigious prizes, including college scholarships.

Each year, students from across Connecticut choose a historical topic based on an annual theme, then, along with the help of dedicated teachers, conduct research and develop  arguments based on original analyses, and then turn their findings into documentaries, exhibits, papers, performances, or websites to share what they’ve learned.

The 2020-21 theme could not be more relevant or important: Communication in History: The Key to Understanding. Students at this weekend’s contests in Hartford and Torrington will share their research on the following fascinating and timely topics and how they relate to communication in history and many more:

• How Yellow Journalism impacted the Spanish American War
• The Amistad: How Creative Communication Led to Freedom
• American School for the Deaf: the Key to Understanding each other
• Peter Liang: Igniting Political Conversation in Asian American Communities
• The Sinking of the Titanic: The Evolution of Communication on Ships

Panels of volunteer judges will determine the first, second, and third place winners in each category that will advance to the State Contest.

The Hartford contest features 44 entries by 56 Students from Berlin High School, Conard High School in West Hartford, Farmington High School, Greater Academy of the Arts High School, Irving A. Robbins Middle School in Farmington, Montessori Magnet School in Hartford, Sedgwick Middle School in West Hartford, South Windsor High School, and Watkinson School in Hartford. Virtual appearances by special guests include Congressman John Larson, Rep. Edwin Vargas, Rep. Joshua Hall, and Rep. Matthew Ritter

The Torrington region includes 49 entries by 65 students from Clairvolotti Homeschool in New Hartford, Har-Bur Middle School in Burlington, Lewis S Mills High School in Burlington, Mazur Homeschool in Avon, Memorial Middle School in Middlebury, Talcott Mountain Academy in Avon, The Hotchkiss School in Sharon, The Taft School in Watertown, Torrington High School, Torrington Middle School, Westside Middle School in Danbury, and Westminster School in Simsbury. Special guests include State Sen. Kevin Witkos, State Rep. Maria Horn, Mayor Elinor Carbone.

After switching to an online format last year at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, staff has been prepared to run all contests fully virtual this year. In an effort to enhance the experience for participants, CHD staff worked with their partners to create unique content exclusively for CHD students, including a series of videos and activities based on the Culper Spy Ring called “Secrets of the Spy Master” from the Litchfield Historical Society and a virtual tour of the Mark Twain House.

“This is more than just your average online event,” said Rebecca Taber-Conover, Head of Public Programs and Connecticut History Day at The Connecticut Democracy Center at Connecticut’s Old State House. “This year we worked with our hosts to create some really engaging experiences for our students.”

Student projects and content available to the public will be available beginning at 9 a.m. Saturday on the Connecticut History Day website: historydayct.org/regionalcontestday.html

Results will be announced Monday, March 15. Upcoming Regional Contests include Fairfield and New Haven on Saturday, March 20.

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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