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Greetings from the State Coordinator
Greetings!
April showers bring . . . New York State History Day! It's a busy month in our Cooperstown office as we prepare to host over 450 students at the largest New York State History Day contest ever on Friday, April 30.
I am pleased to report that participation in the program grew again this year. We can now boast that just under 10,000 students across the state participate annually.
Out of those 10,000 students, only a small number qualify to participate at the state contest. If you or your students participated at a regional contest but did not qualify for "states", I invite and encourage you to come to the state contest to see the student scholarship and experience to energy and excitement of the day.
One of the best ways to learn how to grow the program - both in numbers and project quality - is to attend the state contest. The general public is invited every year. Documentary and Performance judging is open to the public in the morning (as facilities permit) and there is a public viewing time for the web sites, papers, and exhibits at noon. I encourage you to take advantage of this valuable opportunity to see New York's top History Day projects. You can find the contest schedule at our website here: http://nyshistoryday.org/Schedule.htm
Please allow me to express my gratitude to the new schools who took on the program this year, and to thank our seasoned teachers for making it our best year yet. I know that the History Day program requires a big commitment and a lot of work, and I appreciate and honor your dedication. Hopefully I'll get a chance to see you all in person on April 30!
Best wishes,
Tobi Voigt |
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New York State Archives - Student Research Award
 As you know, each year the History Day program can only advance a very small number of participants from the regional to the state contest. This is the downside of the competition system, but we have good news! This year's project doesn't have to be relegated to the attic. You have another chance to win an award for your hard work; the New York State Archives accepts History Day projects for their annual Student Research Awards.
The Student Research Awards program, now in its 20th year, promotes and recognizes excellence in student research. The main purpose of the awards program is to encourage students to explore the wealth of historical records in New York State. A secondary purpose is to increase cooperation between schools and organizations that administer historical records useful for education.
The Student Research Awards program is a statewide competition open to all New York State students in grades 4-12. A total of three awards will be given, one each for students in grades 4-5, 6-8 and 9-12. Each award consists of a certificate and a cash prize. Certificates of Merit will also be awarded to entries other than the winners that show a heavy reliance on historical records to support research.
This year's deadline for entries is July 1, 2010. Students can submit projects created during the 2009-2010 school year. For more information, visit the the NYS Archives web site at: www.archives.nysed.gov/a/grants/grants_student_sraguidelines |
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| State Contest - Documentary Category Information
During the Regional Competitions this year, many students brought their documentary entries as computer files. This seemed to be new development for 2010, and there were many issues with hardware and software compatibility.
I want to take this time to clarify the procedures for the Documentary Category for the state and national contests.
The intent of this category is to produce a final TV-ready documentary in DVD/VHS format. To that end, both the state and national contests will provide only a television, DVD player and VCR on which students can show their projects.
However,
students can show their projects on a computer if they bring the equipment with them (i.e. computer, speakers, projector.) This is in accordance with Rule 8 on page 19 of the National History Day Contest Rule Book, which states: "Students must provide and be able to run their own computers and software."
During the state and national competitions, each documentary entry is given a twenty minute judging period. The first five minutes enables students to set up and test any equipment. They then have ten minutes to present the project and five minutes for tear-down and questions.
We sent an email with this information to every student who will be competing with a documentary entry at the state contest on April 30. However, if you have any further questions, please contact Tobi at t.voigt@nysha.org. |
New NYS History Day Merch Available!
 New for 2010, New York State History Day will have a fun merchandise table at the state contest! Among the items you can take home for are: - Full-color special edition t-shirt designed by Stephen Reisig for $12.00
- Set of three 2010 NYS History Day buttons for $2.50
- Eco-friendly lunch tote for $2.50
- Prior year NYS History Day t-shirts for $5.00
- New York State curriculum materials for $2.00 - $10.00
- And much more!
In addition, both the Fenimore Art Museum and The Farmers' Museum will offer History Day lunch specials. At the Fenimore Cafe, you can dine on our outdoor terrace and view the lake. Its gourmet sandwiches and quiches are delicious! The Farmers' Museum Dairy Bar, located in the Main Barn will be serving a hot lunch special.
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Program Links
New York State
National History Day
Facebook Page 
Program Sponsor
New York State Historical Association
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