Student Accolades

National History Day 2024

Congratulations to the 66 students who represented Illinois at the National History Day® National Contest held June 9‒13, 2024! Their 36 entries advanced from a statewide pool of nearly 10,000 students who created History Day projects at the classroom level.

The following students placed in the top 10 entries in their category:

• Milo Richards earned 1st place in Junior Individual Exhibit for “War of the Electric Currents.”
• Evan Jin, Jeremiah Jin, Nathan Eng, and Urijah Dalach earned 4th place in Senior Group Performance for “Wong Kim Ark and the Battle for Birthright Citizenship.”
• Davis Smith earned 9th place in Senior Individual Website for “News of the Boston Massacre: Breaking News or Fake News?”
• Ayush Mishra earned 10th place in Senior Individual Performance for “Coal, Compromise, and Change: Teddy Roosevelt’s Presidential Leadership during the Anthracite Coal Strike of 1902 as a Turning Point in Labor History.”

The following students were awarded special prizes:

• Avani Nandi won the U.S. Constitution Award, sponsored by National Archives and Records Administration, for her Junior Individual Documentary, “Separate Is Never Equal: How the Mendez v. Westminster Suit Was a Turning Point in the Desegregation of Schools across the United States.”
• Deepti Koduru, Madeleine Kim, Noa Kim-Cohen, and Selasi Affram won the Equality in History Prize, sponsored by Celie and Tabitha Niehaus, for their Junior Group Documentary, “Rock Revolutionaries: The Chicago Women’s Liberation Rock Band.”
• Evan Jin, Jeremiah Jin, Nathan Eng, and Urijah Dalach won the Asian American History Prize, sponsored by the National Park Service, for their Senior Group Performance, “Wong Kim Ark and the Battle for Birthright Citizenship.”

The following students projects were selected by National History Day to be showcased at cultural institutions in Washington, DC, on Wednesday, June 12.

• Karter Fugate and Leonidas Kalantzis-Jimenez‘s exhibit titled “Remembering Emmett – Till Justice is Served” was showcased at the National Museum of American History.
• Lydia Frost, Millicent Norton, Tejah Rana, and Lisa Tao‘s documentary titled “The Turn of the Anti-Lynching Movement Through the Work of Ida B. Wells” was showcased at the National Museum of African American History and Culture.
• Henry Everett‘s paper “Turning the Tide: How The American Railway Union Changed the Federal Strike Policy” was in the White House Historical Association’s showcase.

Two entries earned the Outstanding Affiliate Awards for Illinois:

• Benjamin Davis earned the Junior Division Outstanding Affiliate Award for his Junior Individual Documentary, “Jerry Lawson: A Game Changer.”
• Helena Emerton and Lucie Bhatoey-Bertrand won the Senior Division Outstanding Affiliate Award for their Senior Group Performance, “Miriam A. Ferguson and Nellie Tayloe Ross: A Turning Point for Women in State Government.”

Illinois History Day 2024

Congratulations to our students advancing to National History Day!​ See the full list of 2024 Award Winners.

Chicago Regional History Day 2024

Congratulations to our special ​award recipients and to our students advancing to Illinois History Day!​ See the full list of 2024 Award Winners from the March 20, 2024, award ceremony.

Sixty-eight students from 23 schools represented Illinois at the National History Day National Contest at the University of Maryland College Park June 11-15, 2023. Four projects qualified for the National Finals (the top 10 entries in the nation), with several other projects earning special recognition. Nearly 10,000 students participate in Illinois History Day each year at the classroom level.

• Beatriz Whitford, “Crying Wolf: Social Perceptions of Wolves and the Yellowstone Project as an Environmental Frontier,” 1st place and gold medal, Junior Individual Website.
• Hugo Richards, “Lost at Sea: The Search for Longitude,” 3rd place and bronze medal, Junior Individual Exhibit
• Marie Mascinski, “Paving the Way to Success: How the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956 Shaped the American Frontier,” 5th place, Junior Individual Website
• Avani Nandi, “¡Sí, se puede! How the United Farm Workers Grape Boycott Broke Barriers for Social Movements,” 5th place, Junior Individual Documentary; she also won the Latino American History Award sponsored by the National Park Service
• Clara Degenholtz, Clara Mueller, and Crimson Johnson, “I Can’t Be Satisfied: How Chess Records Changed the Music Scene of Chicago,” The Arts in History Special Award, Junior Group Documentary
• Alex Rechitsky and Arnav Chaphalkar, “The Fall of the Berlin Wall: How Gorbachev’s Leadership Led to the Crossing of a Monumental Frontier in History,” Outstanding Affiliate Award—Junior Division Award for Illinois, Junior Group Performance
• Vanessa Rios, “Riverview: On the Frontier of Fun!,” Junior Individual Exhibit, presented at the NHD Showcase at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History
• Michael Biondo of Maine South High School, one of six finalists for the Patricia Behring National Teacher of the Year Award

Congratulations to our special ​award recipients and to our students advancing to National History Day!​ See the full list of 2023 Award Winners.

Congratulations to all our students who qualified for National History Day! See our list of National History Day Qualifiers. 

Congratulations to our special ​award recipients and to our students advancing to Illinois History Day!​ See the full list of 2023 Award Winners.

Chicago Metro History Day had several medalists, finalists, and special prize winners at the 2022 NHD National Awards Ceremony. Congratulations to:

• Dou Lai, Vladislav Bodnaruk, and William Wang, “A City within a City: The Cabrini Green Housing Projects,” 1st place, Junior Group Website
• Serena Cherian Thomas, Louis Auxenfans, and William Tan, “Jazz Dissonance: Examining the Irony of the State Department’s Cold War Diplomacy during the Civil Rights Era,” 3rd place, Senior Group Documentary
• Donovan Miller, Lauren Tapper, and Sarah Kumar, “AIMing for a Diplomatic Future: The American Indian Movement’s Occupation of the BIA and the Fight for Tribal Sovereignty,” 4th place, Senior Group Documentary; the students also won a special prize: the National Park Service’s Native American History Prize
• Ella Fang, Elsa Torres, and Megan Tan, “The Opium Wars: An Excuse for British Foreign Policy,” 7th place, Junior Group Documentary; the students also received Outstanding Affiliate Junior Division
• Lena Stole, “Annexation or Occupation: Bayonet Diplomacy, Limited Congressional Debate, and the Ambiguous Status of the 50th State,” 8th place, Senior Individual Website
• Daniel Roque, “Uprising in the Coalfields: The Battle of Blair Mountain,” Outstanding Affiliate Senior Division

The following student projects from Illinois were competitively selected to be featured in virtual showcases at cultural institutions across Washington, DC. Congratulations to:

• Louis Auxenfans, William Tan, and Serena Cherian Thomas from the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools High School whose documentary, “Jazz Dissonance: Examining the Irony of the State Department’s Cold War Diplomacy During the Civil Rights Era,” was featured at the National Museum of African American History and Culture.
• Slokha Anandula, Nidhi Karekar, Emily Zmyslowski from Margaret Mead Junior High School (Elk Grove Village), whose exhibit, “The Fight for Forest Preserves: The Tale of Busse Woods Creation,” was featured at the National Museum of American History.
• Julia Cerimele from Regina Dominican High School (Wilmette), whose paper, “The Debate Seen and Heard ‘Round the World: The Transformative Legacy of the Kennedy-Nixon Debates on Presidential Elections, Image Creation, and Personal and Public Diplomacy,” was featured at the White House Historical Association.

Congratulations to all our students who qualified for National History Day! See our list of National History Day Qualifiers. 

Congratulations to our special ​award recipients and to our students advancing to Illinois History Day!​ See the full list of 2022 CMHD Award Winners.

National History Day 2021

NHD Finalists

These projects were selected as the top project in their preliminary judging room. Only ten projects from each category are selected as NHD Finalists!

• Senior Group Documentary “Say It Loud, I’m Black and I’m Proud”: The Media’s Misrepresentation of the Black Panther Party by Brent Pennington, Sandra Mordi, and Kara Tao. University of Chicago Lab High School, Dr. Cynthia Jurisson.
• Junior Group Exhibit The Subjacent Meanings of Jazz: A Means of Communication for Social Change by Alyssa Senese and Alvena Bhutiani. Mead Junior High, Ms. Julie Morrison.
• Junior Individual Exhibit The Phoenix from the Ashes: How and Why the 1911 Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire Blazed a Trail in Workers’ Rights by Fiona Jin. Twin Groves Middle School, Ms. Jill Leone.
• Junior Individual Exhibit A Polish Immigrant’s Read: Historic Polish Newspapers in Chicago by Sophia Borgula. Lane Tech Academic Center, Ms. Tina-Marie Turner.
• Junior Individual Website “The Whole World Is Watching!” by Steven Jiang. Keller Regional Gifted Center, Ms. Kelly Walsh.

NHD Special Award Winners

NHD awards a number of student Special Awards each year. Only one project from each division (junior and senior) are selected for each prize.

Equality in History Award

• Junior Individual Performance, STAND UP, FIGHT BACK: Larry Kramer, ACT UP and a Philosophy of Anger In Activism by Caspian Pirtle. The Catherine Cook School, Ms. Jessica Majors.

National Showcase Selections

The national museum listed below host online showcases for particular categories and topics. Congratulations to the projects selected for the showcases this year!

National Women’s History Museum Virtual Performance Showcase

• Mary Ann Bickerdyke: The Messenger on The Battlefield by Joan Huh. Carbondale Community High School, Mr. Charles Buss.

National Museum of American History Virtual Exhibit Showcase

• A Polish Immigrant’s Read: Historic Polish Newspapers in Chicago by Sophia Borgula. Lane Tech Academic Center, Ms. Tina-Marie Turner.

National Museum of African American History and Culture Virtual Documentary Showcase

• “Say It Loud, I’m Black and I’m Proud”: The Media’s Misrepresentation of the Black Panther Party by Brent Pennington, Sandra Mordi, and Kara Tao. University of Chicago Lab High School, Dr. Cynthia Jurisson.
• Communication In History: The Key To Understanding The 1963 Chicago Public Schools Boycott by Gabrielle Domercant. Mayer Elementary School, Ms. Ditra Backup

Outstanding Entries

One Junior Division and one Senior Division project are selected as Outstanding Entries from each affiliate. Congratulations to Illinois’s Outstanding Entries!

• Senior Group Website Fred Hampton by Eleonore Vuillemin, Grace Sawin, and Ishani Pidara. Lincoln Park High School, Ms. Sandra Koehler.
• Junior Individual Exhibit The Phoenix from the Ashes: How and Why the 1911 Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire Blazed a Trail in Workers’ Rights by Fiona Jin. Twin Groves Middle School, Ms. Jill Leone.

Each year, Illinois nominates one junior division and one senior division teacher for the Patricia Behring Teacher of the Year award. Congratulations to our Illinois nominees this year!

• Senior Division Nominee: Jennie Crownson, Morton East High School, Cicero, IL
• Junior Division Nominee: Kimberly Smolen, Lenart Regional Gifted Center, Chicago, IL

Projects advancing from Illinois History Day to the NHD National Contest

• Team Illinois 2021 (PDF): View the complete list of projects/students representing Illinois at the NHD National Contest here!

Complete Illinois History Day Results

• Watch the results video here! 
  • 1:32 – What to expect, run of show
  • 2:12 – Senior Division finalists
  • 8:28 – Junior Division finalists
  • 17:18 – Governor’s Award
  • 18:28 – IHD Special Award winners
  • 23:05 – NHD Qualifiers announced
  • 30:18 – Important news for NHD qualifiers
• View the results Slides presentation as a PDF here

The links above include State Finalists (which means a project was among the top projects in its category at IHD) as well as the NHD qualifiers. Remember, there are many outstanding projects at the State Contest, but only two projects per category can represent Team Illinois at NHD. Congratulations to all students who competed at the state contest this year!

Projects advancing from CMHF to Illinois History Day

Junior Division projects advancing to IHD State Contest

• Documentaries (PDF)
• Exhibits (PDF)
• Performances (PDF)
• Websites (PDF)
• Papers (PDF)

Senior Division projects advancing to IHD State Contest

• Documentaries (PDF)
• Exhibits (PDF)
• Performances (PDF)
• Websites (PDF)
• Papers (PDF)

Projects Selected for CMHF Senior Finals

Senior Division (high school) projects that have been selected to advance to the Chicago Metro History Fair Senior Finals can be found below. They are sorted in first-name order. Congratulations to all of our participating students!

• Documentaries advancing to Senior Finals (PDF)
• Exhibits advancing to Senior Finals (PDF)
• Papers advancing to Senior Finals (PDF)
• Performances advancing to Senior Finals (PDF)
• Websites advancing to Senior finals (PDF)

Special Awards

View the 2021 Chicago Metro History Fair Special Awards winners’ list (PDF), including Special Awards for senior finalists and the History Fair in Action awards for all grade levels. Thank you to all of our nominees this year.

Congratulations to all of our student historians who competed in the 2020 NHD Virtual National Contest! We want to recognize the following outstanding achievements:

• “The Oxnard Strike of 1903: Breaking Barriers of Racial Representation in the Labor Force” by Yashas Mattur, Anthony Noce and Ankit Rath from Mead Jr. High: awarded first prize in the nation and named NEH Scholars for their Junior Group Exhibit
• “Soul Train, Soul Change” by Avery Kelly: Outstanding Entry and NMAAHC Documentary Showcase selection (Junior Individual Documentary)
• “Challenging the Ideological Barriers that Justified Slavery and Denigrated Muslims: Former Slave Ayuba Suleiman Diallo is Admitted to the Club” by Ramsey Radwan, Omar Siddiqui, Sizhe Li, Frederick Tang, and Noor Assad: Outstanding Entry (Senior Group Performance)
• “How Jazz Broke Racial and Cultural Barriers” by Lola Fratto: NMAAHC Documentary Showcase selection (Senior Individual Documentary)
• A total of six CMHF projects were NHD Finalists

Advancing to NHD National Contest

The following projects represented Team Illinois at National History Day 2020! Visit the NHD web page for more information about the National Contest.

• Senior Division NHD 2020 projects (PDF)
• Junior Division NHD 2020 projects (PDF)

Superior Projects

Congratulations to the creators of the following projects, which were judged to be “Superior” by Illinois History Day Judges:

Junior Division

• Superior Junior Documentaries (PDF)
• Superior Junior Exhibits (PDF)
• Superior Junior Performances (PDF)
• Superior Junior Websites (PDF)
• Superior Junior Papers (PDF)

Senior Division

• Superior Senior Documentaries (PDF)
• Superior Senior Exhibits (PDF)
• Superior Senior Performances (PDF)
• Superior Senior Websites (PDF)
• Superior Senior Papers (PDF)

The following projects advanced from the Chicago Metro Regional contests to compete in Illinois History Day 2020 – Virtual Contest:

Senior Division

• Exhibits (PDF)
• Documentaries (PDF) (corrected 5/4 10:35)
• Performances (PDF)
• Websites (PDF) (corrected 5/5 1:06)
• Papers (PDF) (corrected 5/2 19:08)

Junior Division

• Exhibits (PDF) (corrected 5/4 13:28)
• Documentaries (PDF) (corrected 5/1 15:24)
• Performances (PDF)
• Websites (PDF)
• Papers (PDF) (corrected 5/3 18:39)

Note: “corrected” indicates that a misspelled or missing name has been corrected. No projects or students have been removed.

CMHF Awards

Scroll through the slides below to view our Senior Division Special Award winners for the 2020 History Fair season! Congratulations to all of our award winners and a very special thank you to our award sponsors.

• Senior Division Special Awards (PDF)