Multiple sixth grade students from Hillsborough’s Auten Road Intermediate School (ARIS) will have their sights set on competing in the State National History Day Competition next month.
The 18 of the 36 ARIS sixth grade students who participated in the New Jersey Regional National History Day Competition at Monmouth University on March 23 have qualified to move on to the State National History Day Competition at William Paterson University in May. The college is located in Wayne.
The top two entries in each category at the state-level will then be invited to the National Contest held at the University of Maryland in College Park.
For the ARIS National History Day Club co-advisor, Pat Sellar, her students’ success in the educational program has been a rewarding experience after the hard work and effort they put in.
“Mrs. Patrick and I are so proud of all our students that participated in National History Day this year,” Sellar said. “This program is a year-long commitment that takes place outside of the regular school day and takes quite a lot of time and dedication.”
National History Day is a national academic competition for students in grades 6-12. This year, the annual theme is “Triumph and Tragedy.”
Participating students select topics that are connected to this theme and complete their own in-depth research on their chosen topic.
Students then present their research and conclusions by creating and an entry in one of five categories: Paper; Museum-style exhibit; Dramatic performance; Documentary; or Website. At each competition level, students share their work with their peers, historians, educators, and professionals in related fields as they complete for special awards and the opportunity to advance to the next level of the competition.
Participation in this national program has grown to more than 500,000 students across the country. At ARIS, sixth grade students may choose to participate in the National History Day academic club.
“Through this program, the students have learned so many lifelong skills that will benefit them both in their future schooling and in life,” Sellar said. “We are always amazed by them.”
The club is open to any sixth grade student that is interested in participating. At the beginning of the school year, club members choose a topic and continue their research and develop their entry with the guidance of their advisors. This is the sixth year of the club’s existence at ARIS.