Press Release
May 15, 2023
Contact: Sarah Dumas
Oklahoma History Center, Oklahoma Historical Society
Office: 405-522-0785
sarah.dumas@history.ok.gov
www.okhistory.org/historyday
2023 Oklahoma National History Day Winners Announced
OKLAHOMA CITY — Dozens of Oklahoma students won first, second or third place in the Oklahoma National History Day (OkNHD) competition at the Oklahoma History Center (OHC). Students in 6th through 8th grades competed on May 3. Students in 9th through 12th grades competed on May 4. Some of the winners move on to the national competition in June.
Winners from the junior division attend 6th and 7th Grade Academy at Ben Franklin, part of Muskogee Public Schools; All Saints Catholic School; Canton Elementary School; Centennial Middle School; Deer Creek Middle School; Grove Public School; Morrison Elementary School; Morrison Junior High; St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic School; and Stillwater Junior High School.
Winners from the senior division attend Broken Bow Schools; Canton Public Schools; Classen School of Advanced Studies; Morrison High School; Muskogee High School; Oklahoma Christian School; Oklahoma School of Science and Mathematics; Stillwater Junior High School; and Summit Christian School.
Centennial Middle School and Canton Public Schools won the sweepstakes award in the junior and senior divisions, respectively.
Gina Golshani of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic School won the OkNHD Patricia Behring Teacher of the Year award for the junior division. Stephen Frazier of Dove Science Academy won the OkNHD Patricia Behring Teacher of the Year award for the senior division.
National History Day is a highly regarded academic program that is student-driven and fosters critical thinking. The cross-curricular program meets Oklahoma standards for social studies and other subjects. Each year thousands of Oklahoma students in grades 6-12 take part.
Students qualified for the state competition after winning at one of seven regional competitions across Oklahoma. The top two students in each category at the state competition will be named Oklahoma Historical Society scholars and receive a free membership. Winners at the state level move to the national competition, which occurs at the University of Maryland at College Park from June 11-15. More than 750,000 students across the country participate every year.
OkNHD is project-based learning that focuses on historical topics related to a theme. Students conduct extensive primary and secondary research through libraries, archives, museums and historic sites. After analyzing and interpreting their sources, students draw conclusions about their topic’s significance in history before presenting their work in original papers, exhibits, performances, websites and documentaries. Student projects are entered into competitions in the spring at regional, state and national contests, where professional historians and educators evaluate them.
The Oklahoma History Center is located at 800 Nazih Zuhdi Dr. in Oklahoma City. It is open to the public Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Please call 405-522-0765 or visit www.okhistory.org/historycenter for admission costs and group rates.
The Oklahoma History Center is a division of the Oklahoma Historical Society and is an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, National Archives and is an accredited member of the American Alliance of Museums. The mission of the Oklahoma Historical Society is to collect, preserve and share the history and culture of the state of Oklahoma and its people. Founded in 1893 by members of the Territorial Press Association, the OHS maintains museums, historic sites and affiliates across the state. Through its research archives, exhibits, educational programs and publications the OHS chronicles the rich history of Oklahoma. For more information about the OHS, please visit www.okhistory.org.
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