Registration
Participating in the CMHF Regional Contest this year? Head to our Virtual Contests page for all the details and instructions to register!
Category Workshops
- View the recording and access links from our Virtual Exhibits Info Session (1/30/2021)
- View the recording and access links from our NHDWebCentral workshop/demo (2/4/2021)
- Email us to request access to our Documentary Workshop (1/23/2021)
Research Help
- NEIU Research Librarians are standing by to assist History Fair students! Book an appointment with them today!
- History Fair staff are here for you! Email us at historyfair (at) chicagohistory (dot) org!
Students of the Week
Visit our 2021 Student Accolades page to learn about this week’s Students of the Week and to nominate yourself or someone you know as Student of the Week!
Welcome, History Fair Students! Use this page as a guide to help you through this challenging and rewarding project.
How to Participate
History Fair students participate through their schools. Ask your teacher about whether your school participates in History Fair. Schools may decide which classes, teachers, and grade levels participate. Participating schools are allowed to send a limited numbers to compete at CMHF 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.
Students who are at non-participating schools may submit a History Fair project as an Independent Scholar. In order to participate as an Independent Scholar, submit this form.
The History Fair Project
Creating a History Fair 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 Fair 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
- Our Virtual Contests page has full info on how to submit each project category
- Check out examples of each type of project from past CMHF contests here (updated February 2021)
- View national award-winning projects from previous years at the NHD Project Examples page
Project Paperwork
Every History Fair project must also include:
- A process paper (with title page) – see instructions here
- An annotated bibliography (AB) – see instructions here
How do the categories work if History Fair is virtual this year?
- Visit our recently-updated Virtual Contests page for details about each category, including the exact files you will need to submit.
Five Steps for a Successful History Fair 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
If your project competes in the CMHF Regional contests, you may self-nominate your project for one or more of our History Fair in Action 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!
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