INFORMATION FOR
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New Jersey History Day njhistoryday@wpunj.eduPhone: (973) 720-4121
Michelle Moon. moonm4@wpunj.eduPhone: (973) 720-4121
Regional Contests
South: Rutgers University-Camden
February 27, 2027
Central: Monmouth University
March; date TBD
North: St. Elizabeth University
March 21, 2027
State Contest
William Paterson University • nj.nhd.org
National History Day • nhd.org
New Jersey History Day
College of Education, Office of Field Experiences and Partnerships
William Paterson University
300 Pompton Rd.
Wayne, NJ 07470
(973) 720-4121
New Jersey History Day (NJHD) is the Gaden State affiliate of National History Day, a globally recognized leader in history teaching and learning. This dynamic, exciting educational program invites students to take ownership of their learning and explore the world of historical research and interpretation. Every year, we offer learning opportunities, workshops, and programs for our thriving community of students, educators, volunteer judges, and families.
Our core program is the New Jersey History Day Contest series. which challengesstudents to become experts on topics of their choosing and present their work in a high-energy competition setting. Working on their own or witha group, students take inspiration from the annual theme to create original research projects in one of five creative formats: performance, exhibit, documentary, website, or paper. Students then present their projects at local, Regional, and State competitions. Qualifying students move on to the next competition level, culminating in the five-day NHD National Contest held in June at the University of Maryland. Each year, New Jersey sends a proud delegation of students and teachers to represent our state among their peers from all over the nation and world.
Who can participate?
The History Day program is open to students in grades 6-12. Students of all kinds participate in History Day - public, private, parochial, and homeschool students; urban, suburban and rural schools; students with special educational needs; homeschoolers and independent study students. All that's needed is adult mentor willing to sponsor students' participation and support their work - a teacher, parent, coach, youth leader, librarian, or other mentor.
How do I sign up?
NJHD's contest series takes place February through May. Students and teachers must register to participate Registration opens on December 1st and closes February 1st. Registration details will be posted here by November 1st.
Why Teach History Day?
National History Day's combination of project-based learning, personal relevance, and an emphasis on real research and scholarship comes together to create a leading model of teaching 21st-century skills. For more than fifty years, National History Day has supported classroom teaching by fueling student interest in developing research skills, and rewarding students of all abilities for their scholarship, individual initiative, and cooperative learning. A rigorous national evaluation of the NHD program found that participants:
Information coming soon!
Volunteer Judges are the heart of the History Day experience. Judges provide students with a high-quality educational experience—whether or not they win a prize. Your background, knowledge, and perspective are a valuable contribution of insight and confidence for students to take their next steps in life.
Judging is a rewarding experience. Judges often tell us that they leave contest events feeling inspired by students' creativity and accomplishments, and always learn something new from the students' in-depth investigations. Contest events are a get-together of like-minded people who love learning, history, and the adventure of research, and are great for networking and professional development. It's a wonderful way to contribute to the celebration of history in New Jersey.
Any adult with a love of history, learning, and supporting student growth! No particular qualifications are required, besides enthusiasm and interest in encouraging middle and high school students in their development as researchers. We especially appreciate help from educators, professors, librarians, archivists, museum professionals, youth development professionals, community historians, and museum volunteers, but we welcome people from all walks of life who are interested in giving their time and thoughtful feedback to students. Whether you have a background in history or simply enjoy learning something new, your perspective matters. For teachers: NJHD is an accredited provider of PD hours a 5-hour certificate is available for judging a contest.
In the National History Day program, students in grades 6–12 conduct extensive research on topics related to an annual theme and present their findings in historical papers, exhibits, documentaries, performances, or websites. At the contest events, students present their research to volunteer judges, who provide feedback and select projects to advance to the next level of the competition. Students rely on judges' responses to understand their rankings and improve their work for future presentations. Conversations and feedback from judges help build student confidence, encourage them to continue being curious researchers, and hone their academic and presentation skills.
Judges work in teams of two to three people, with each team viewing 6-8 student entries. NHD uses consensus judging, which means that instead of giving entries numerical scores, judges rank the entries after discussing them with their teams. Together, they provide appreciative, constructive feedback and guidance on each project to help students develop their research skills.
There are two ways to judge for History Day: virtual and in-person.
Virtual Judges review student entries in the paper and website categories. Virtual judges receive student entries two weeks before the contest day and may review them at their own pace. Reviews are scored and submitted online in a written comment form.
In-person Judges join us for the contest day – about 8 AM to 2:30 PM. Breakfast and lunch are included. After a short orientation, judges break into teams and are assigned a category of student entry to judge: documentaries, exhibits, or performances. Working with team members, judges have brief conversations with students about their work, then collaborate on feedback and select the entries that will go on to the next round.
To register as a judge, click the link below for the zFairs website for the contest or contests you want to judge. At the site, you'll create an account and answer a few questions that help us match you with your team and project category.
February 27 - Regional Contest at Rutgers University-Camden
March 13 - Regional Contest at Monmouth University
March 21 - Regional Contest at St. Elizabeth University
May 1 - State Contest at William Paterson University
