Historical Society of Michigan 5815 Executive Dr. Lansing, MI 48911 Contact: Nancy Feldbush (517) 324-1828 feldbush@hsmichigan.org	For Immediate Release
MICHIGAN STUDENTS HONORED AT 2018 NATIONAL HISTORY DAY
COLLEGE PARK, Md.—Michigan students were among the thousands of participants from across the United States and several territories competing in the 2018 National History Day contest, which took place June 10-14, 2018, in College Park, Maryland. Nine Michigan students received special honors at this year’s competition. “The History Day theme for 2018—Conflict & Compromise in History—allowed our students to investigate interesting topics and led them to produce very creative projects,” said Amy Bradfield, State Coordinator for Michigan History Day® (National History Day in Michigan). “We are proud of the hard work and accomplishments of all our students throughout the History Day program.” Michigan students competing in the National History Day competition represented several cities, including Ada, Battle Creek, Berkley, Beverly Hills, Bloomfield Hills, Cedarville, DeTour Village, Holland, Houghton, Howell, Kalamazoo, Kentwood, Newberry, Okemos, Pickford, Richland, Sault Ste. Marie, South Haven, South Lyon, Traverse City, Troy, Westland, Whitehall and Wyoming. SPECIAL RECOGNITION Alexis Moss, Jacquelyn Foreman and Kushal Sanjeev from Bloomfield Hills High School in Bloomfield Hills were selected to represent Michigan at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History with their group exhibit, “Who Really Won the Toledo War?” The students were sponsored by Rachel Matz. Andrew Karafa of Forest Hills Eastern Middle School in Ada, sponsor Jim Cross, received the Junior Division of the Captain Ken Coskey Naval History Prize with his individual documentary entry, “Temporary Truces: How America’s Handling of the Barbary Bullies Molded the U.S. Navy.” The award is sponsored by the Naval Historical Foundation. Elle Ahrens and Sloan Markin of Gagie School in Kalamazoo, sponsor Marsha Hoenle, received the Junior Division Outstanding Affiliate Award, designating them as best-in-state, for their group performance, “Nellie Bly: Deceiving, Defying, Empowering—One Article at a Time.” Lauren Geiger of Whitehall High School in Whitehall, sponsor Jan Klco, received the Senior Division Outstanding Affiliate Award, designating her as best-in-state, for her individual exhibit entry, “‘Quelle Horreur!’ 1863 Salon des Refuses Refocuses Reality.” Claire Parish and Kyle Korte of Forest Hills Eastern Middle School in Ada, sponsor Jim Cross, received the Senior Division of the Global Peace Prize with their group documentary, “Arthur Vandenberg: Putting America First Through Conflict and Compromise.” The award is sponsored by The United States Institute of Peace. Parish and Korte were also selected to participate in the “Day on the Hill” program, hosted by the National Endowment for the Humanities at the U.S. Capitol, on Wednesday, June 13. The students and a chaperone joined students from other affiliates across the country in an opportunity to meet members of Congress, who were eager to hear about their project and research. Approximately 30 students out of the 3,000 who participate in the National Contest are selected to attend this program each year. Michigan History Day is an affiliate of National History Day, which was established in 1974 and offers yearlong academic programs that engage more than half a million middle- and high-school students around the world annually. History Day provides a fascinating opportunity to move beyond routine learning. Based on an annual theme, students choose to explore and research a local, national or international historical topic. Students then present their work in one of five categories: performances, exhibits, papers, websites and documentaries. Lead sponsors of Michigan History Day 2018 are The Meijer Foundation, Frederick S. Upton Foundation, Rollin M. Gerstacker Foundation, Amway and Bay City Public Schools. The Historical Society of Michigan is the state’s oldest cultural organization, founded in 1828 by territorial governor Lewis Cass and explorer Henry Schoolcraft. A nongovernmental nonprofit, the Society focuses on publications, conferences, education, awards and recognition programming, and support for local history organizations to preserve and promote Michigan’s rich history. #  #  # Editor’s Note: For high-resolution photos of the individual winners, please contact the Historical Society of Michigan at hsm@hsmichigan.org. This e-mail is sent to our members and friends to keep you updated on historical activities and opportunities to learn more about our state’s history. To opt-out, please respond to this e-mail with “remove” in the subject line. If you received this e-mail as part of your participation in the Michlib-l mailing list (listserv), please follow their removal process.