2022 History Day Students: Registration is now open for Chicago Metro History Day!
Please see your teacher for instructions on how to register for our in-person OR virtual contest this March. We also have FAQs for virtual participants and in-person participants, as well as guidelines for virtual submissions. Please email historyday@chicagohistory.org if you have questions. We are also offering virtual coaching sessions for history day students.
REGISTRATION CLOSES AT 5PM ON THURSDAY, MARCH 3RD. Please make sure you have all required materials uploaded to zFairs by this time. You can find video instructions for registering here.
Chicago Metro History Day 2022 will be a HYBRID contest.
***KEY DATES AND DEADLINES***
Thursday, March 3 – Student registration closes, project submission deadline, and website lockout
Saturday, March 12 – IN-PERSON Junior Division History Day (gr. 6–8) at the Chicago History Museum
Wednesday, March 16 – IN-PERSON Senior Division History Day (gr. 9–12) at the University of Illinois at Chicago
Friday, March 18 – Friday, March 25 – VIRTUAL History Day
Monday, March 28 – VIRTUAL Awards Ceremony
Saturday, April 30 – VIRTUAL State History Day (University of Illinois at Springfield)
June – VIRTUAL National History Day
VIRTUAL CONTEST INFORMATION
Unvaccinated students, students who test positive for COVID-19 or are close contacts, and students who prefer a virtual contest setting are welcome to participate in Chicago Metro History Day’s VIRTUAL History Day contest. Judging will take place March 18–25.
CHICAGO METRO HISTORY DAY SATURDAY, MARCH 12, 2022
JUNIOR DIVISION IN-PERSON HISTORY DAY
CHICAGO HISTORY MUSEUM, 1601 N. CLARK
This schedule is for students who are registered as IN-PERSON participants only. (Virtual entrants do not attend the in-person events.) Students will receive their individual entry presentation/interview time at check-in.
Junior Division History Day will be held at the Chicago History Museum, 1601 N. Clark. Please be aware that the St. Patrick’s Day parade is occurring that day and it may affect traffic from certain locations – please allow extra time.
There is a parking lot on the north side of the building at LaSalle and Clark. Parents may get discounted parking by getting a validation code at the visitor services desk.
Students and parents are on their own for food, however, we do have a café in our building and several nearby food establishments if students need to purchase a snack.
Welcome, History Day Students! Use this page as a guide to help you through this challenging and rewarding project.
How to Participate
History Day students participate through their schools. Ask your teacher about whether your school participates in History Day. Schools may decide which classes, teachers, and grade levels participate. Participating schools are allowed to send a limited numbers to compete at CMHD Regional Contests in the spring, which will take place virtually in 2021. Your teacher is the final authority at your school in determining all rules and requirements for your project, including due dates and limitations on topics and categories.
If you are a student attending a school that does not participate in History Day, you may submit a History Day project as an Independent Scholar. In order to participate as an Independent Scholar, submit this form.
The History Day Project
Creating a History Day project is a big task, but if you use your time constructively, stay organized, and make use of all the resources available to you, you can create an amazing and successful project!
What does a History Day project look like?
Project Categories
- There are five project categories:
- Click here for more info on each project category
- Watch the “Step Five” video for a more in-depth look at each category
- Check out examples of each type of project from past CMHD contests here (updated February 2021)
- View national award-winning projects from previous years at the NHD Project Examples page
Project Paperwork
Every History Day project must also include:
- A process paper (with title page) – see instructions here
- An annotated bibliography (AB) – see instructions here
Five Steps for a Successful History Day Project
Written Materials
- All projects must have a title page and Process Paper (PP)
- All projects must include an Annotated Bibliography (AB)
- Check out our tips to avoid plagiarism
Be sure to check out the NHD Project Categories page for more tips on each category!
Click here to visit the NHD Website’s Project Examples page. This contains examples of national award-winning projects from each NHD category.
Awards
Projects competing in the Chicago Metro History Day regional contests are eligible to self-nominate for a variety of Student Special Awards! Awards are a great way to allow more people to see your project, look great on school applications, and include cash prizes for students! Check out our Theme and Topics page for topic suggestions to get started!
Our 2021 Student Accolades page has more info about Awards, Student of the Week, and more!
<< Click here to return to the Chicago Metro History Day homepage