NMHC News:

Sixty-seven National History Day state finalists proudly represented New Mexico at the national competition June 12-15 at the University of Maryland.

Projects from Los Alamos High School, Moriarty High School, Silver City High School, Albuquerque Christian School and Academy for Technology and the Classics in Santa Fe went on to compete in the final rounds of their respective categories:

Sydne Ashford and Miriam Wallstrom (Los Alamos High School) for their Group Website Containment Begins: How the Berlin Airlift Took a Stand Against Soviet Communism; Steven West (Albuquerque Christian School) for his Individual Performance on Miguel Hidalgo: Taking a Stand for Mexican Independence;  Caden Manning, Jaron Manning, Rebekah Page, Audrey Pearce, and Xavier Romero (Moriarty High School) for their Group Performance Private Lines: The Rum Runner’s “Right to Be Let Alone”; Tyla Ware (Moriarty High School) for her Individual Exhibit 1963: Children Stand for Equality; Gabriela O’Keefe (Silver City High School) for her Individual Documentary The Weather Underground: Fighting Fire with Fire; and Max Manzanares and Theodore Gonzales (Academy for Technology and the Classics) for their Group Website Muhammad Ali: “The Greatest” Stand Against the Vietnam War.

Abby Davis from Hope Christian Middle School won the Native American History Prize sponsored by the National Park Service for her Junior Division Individual Performance Good Words Cannot Give Me Back My Children on Chief Joseph and the Nez Perce.

Best of State was awarded to Steven West, from Albuquerque Christian School, for his Junior Division Individual Performance Miguel Hidalgo: Taking a Stand for Mexican Independence and Sydne Ashford and Miriam Wallstrom, from Los Alamos High School, for their Senior Division Group Website Containment Begins: How the Berlin Airlift Took a Stand Against Soviet Communism.

National History Day is an academic enrichment program for students in grades 6-12. Students select topics connected to an annual theme and complete their own in-depth research on the topic. This year, the annual theme is “Taking a Stand in History.” Students present their conclusions by creating museum-style exhibits, media documentaries, research papers, interactive websites, and dramatic performances. The school event is the first step in a competition cycle that can take students from the school level to regional, state, and national competitions. At each level of competition students share their work with their peers, historians, educators, and professionals in related fields as they compete for over $6000 in cash awards and the opportunity to advance to the next level of competition.

Participation in the program continues to grow with more than 500,000 students participating annually across the nation. The National History Day program in New Mexico is coordinated by the New Mexico Humanities Council and is sponsored by the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs and the National Hispanic Cultural Center. More information on National History Day in New Mexico can be found at nmhum.org.