More than 60 students from Oklahoma recently returned home after participating in the National History Day contest held in Maryland from June 8-12. The theme for this year’s event was “Rights & Responsibilities in History,” with over half a million students competing globally.
In the Junior Individual Exhibit category, Hayden Estrada from Canton Elementary School secured fifth place with a project titled “The Right to Sit: Clara Luper and the Oklahoma City Sit-in Movement.” Adriana Parker from Childers Middle School earned tenth place for her exhibit on the “Tulsa Race Massacre.”
Emberly Thompson and Mackenzie Day, also from Canton Elementary School, achieved seventh place in the Junior Group Exhibit category with their work on “Saint Kate: Fighting for the Rights of Oklahoma’s Children.”
Harper Jones of Canton High School took sixth place in the Senior Individual Exhibit category with a project titled “In Defiance of Hitler: Irish Women in the Resistance.”
Additionally, Taleah Williams, Annie Kelly, Piper Roberts, and Sydney Morgan from Morrison High School were selected to showcase their senior group documentary, “Chilocco Indian Industrial School: A Rationale of Rights and Responsibilities,” at the National Museum of African American History in Washington, D.C.
These students qualified for the national competition by securing first or second place at the state level held at the Oklahoma History Center. This qualification followed victories at one of seven regional competitions across Oklahoma.
National History Day is an esteemed academic program that encourages student-driven learning about civic engagement through primary source analysis. It aligns with Oklahoma’s educational standards for social studies and other subjects.
The 2025 Oklahoma National History Day competition received partial support through a grant from the Bezos Family Foundation. This funding facilitated professional development workshops for teachers and enhanced NHD programs.
