Twelve Hamilton County students who placed first or second in their categories at this year’s Tennessee History Day competition will represent Tennessee at the National History Day competition.
After competing in regional contests across the state, 217 students participated in this year’s Tennessee History Day competition, held April 15. Out of 124 group and individual projects submitted, 62 students advanced to the National History Day competition, 92 students earned medals and 16 students received special prizes.
The Hamilton County award winners from the Tennessee History Day competition are:
1st Place in the Senior Group Exhibit
- Project: Bill Russell: Breaking Records and Racial Stigmas
- By: Griff Millner, Nic Spangler
- From: McCallie School, Chattanooga
- Educator: Duke Richey
1st Place in the Senior Group Performance
- Project: Graffiti: An American Artform
- By: Drake Williams, Henry Absher, Jack Searby
- From: McCallie School, Chattanooga
- Educator: Duke Richey
1st Place in the Senior Individual Website
- Project: A Crying Ecosystem: Rachel Carson's Frontier in Environmental Awareness.
- By: Joshua Ellsworth
- From: McCallie School, Chattanooga
- Educator: Duke Richey
2nd Place in the Senior Group Performance
- Project: Cleopatra
- By: Caroline Carpenter, Ella Wiley, Mia Brunetz
- From: Girls Preparatory School, Chattanooga
- Educator: Laura Foster
2nd Place in the Senior Individual Documentary
- Project: The Vision For Africa
- By: Joshua Mignott
- From: McCallie School, Chattanooga
- Educator: Duke Richey
2nd Place in the Senior Individual Exhibit
- Project: The Printing Press: Crossing a Frontier
- By: Lenore Sanders
- From: Girls Preparatory School, Chattanooga
- Educator: Laura Foster
2nd Place in the Senior Individual Paper
- Project: Pioneering a Frontier: James Willard Schultz Changing the American Perception of Native Americans
- By: Shawn Huss
- From: McCallie School, Chattanooga
- Educator: Duke Richey
3rd Place in the Junior Individual Paper
- Project: Maria Mitchell: the Ground Breaking Woman Scientist
- By: Bea Burbank
- From: Girls Preparatory School, Chattanooga
- Educator: Ralph Covino
3rd Place in the Junior Individual Performance
- Project: History of Communication with Spirits
- By: Emma Virginia Birnbaum
- From: Girls Preparatory School, Chattanooga
- Educator: Ralph Covino
“Congratulations to all the talented students who participated in this year’s Tennessee History Day competition,” said Secretary of State Tre Hargett. “Good luck to the students advancing to compete in National History Day. I know you will proudly represent our great state.”
History Day is a year-long competition in which students in grades 6-12 submit group or individual projects about people and events of historical significance to be judged. These projects include dramatic performances, imaginative exhibits, multimedia documentaries, websites and research papers related to this year’s theme, Frontiers in History: People, Places, Ideas.
“We were so impressed by the research, enthusiasm and creativity displayed by the students at Tennessee History Day this year,” said Tennessee History Day coordinator Nikki Ward. “It is a testament to their educators, as well as the tenacity of this group of scholars. We are so proud of our Tennessee students.”
The National History Day competition will be hosted at the University of Maryland campus in College Park, Maryland, June 11-15. The top finishers in each category will earn prestigious awards and scholarships.
Tennessee History Day is coordinated by the Tennessee Historical Society and sponsored by the Tennessee Secretary of State, Humanities Tennessee, the Memorial Foundation and the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee. Tennessee State Library & Archives volunteers and 70 others coordinated efforts to make this event possible. For more information about Tennessee History Day, visit tennesseehistory.org/tennessee-history-day.