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Delano students send three projects to National History Day; district records first state champion team
Summary
Delano Public Schools sent three projects to the National History Day competition in Washington, D.C., after a record 45 students advanced to state; the district also won its first state championship in the junior group performance category.
Two Delano district staff members told the board on April 28 that Delano students had a record year at National History Day competitions, with three projects qualifying for nationals and the district’s first state-championship team.
Heidi O’Donnell, talent development specialist, and Tracy Campbell, a teacher and history-day advisor, reported that about 19,000 Minnesota students entered National History Day contests this year; 2,042 advanced to regionals and about 1,030 participated at the state competition at the Minneapolis Convention Center.
"45 of those were Delano students, which was the most we've ever brought to a state competition for History Day ever," Tracy Campbell said. The district’s 45 students competed in six of 18 categories and entered 19 projects — 14 team projects and five individual projects.
Results and highlights
Heidi and Campbell reported that 11 of Delano’s 19 projects advanced to final rounds at state, three projects won topical cash prizes (ranging from $100 to $250), and six projects received honorable mentions. Eighth graders Emmy Bridal, Cora Boyack and Maddie Nisely placed fifth in the group website category for a project on Furman v. Georgia. Eighth grader Alexa Hootery placed second in the individual website category and qualified for nationals with a project on the right to revolt and Thomas Paine’s Common Sense.
"For the first time in Delano history, we have a state championship team at the state competition," Tracy Campbell said, describing a first-place finish in the junior group performance category by sixth graders Winston Berg, Zach Lau and Jocelyn Schweer. The district also took second place in that same category.
Why this matters
Campbell framed History Day as a sustained research and writing experience that builds citation skills, source evaluation, collaboration, and project management. She asked the board to help publicize the accomplishment. "It's months of in-depth research. It's learning how to cite and annotate sources... It's educational excellence at its finest," she said.
Ending / next steps
Campbell and O’Donnell asked the board to help spread the news as students prepare for national competition in Washington, D.C., in June. The district will recognize the students in upcoming events and the board acknowledged the accomplishment in its meeting.
