Hi everyone,

Now that 2012 is almost upon us, it’s time to start thinking about your New Year’s resolution!  If volunteering is someone you would like to do, then consider helping with National History Day on the local level.

Students who participate in National History Day research a historic topic, related to the assigned theme. One of the requirements is that they must use primary source material, so some of them may be visiting your institution. They then present their finished research, which can be anything from a paper to a website, to panels of judges. There are a number of regional contests in each state and those students who have the best entries in each category then move on to the state contest. Colorado History Day is on May 5, 2012 and it looks like Wyoming’s is on April 16.

f you are interested in helping please consider visiting the Colorado website at http://www.coloradohistoryday.org/  and the Wyoming website at http://ahc.uwyo.edu/eduoutreach/historyday/default.htm for more information.

The Colorado regional contests will be held on different days, so check the website for locations and days. If you would like to help with the Greater Denver Metro regional contest, it will be on March 17 and the timing for it will be similar to the timing for the state contest. It will be held at Legend High School in Parker, which is a few minutes’ drive from the main Parker intersection at Parker Road and Main Street.  People who judge in the preliminary round will need to be available from about 8-1; people who judge in both preliminary and final rounds will need to be available from about 8-4.  The History Day staff are in the process of setting up a web site with information for the regional contest.  The web site for the state contest is already in place, and people can use the signup form on that web site to sign up to judge at any of the contests, regional or state.

I hope you will consider helping. I know I’ve enjoyed the chance to meet and talk to some great kids who have been very enthusiastic and knowledgeable about their projects.

Thanks, Annette

Annette Gray

Archivist, Douglas County History Research Center

Philip S. Miller Library, 100 S. Wilcox Street, Castle Rock, CO 80104-1911

Phone 303-688-7733  Fax 303-688-7715