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Students Show Off Amazing Projects at National Archives National History Day 2000 Competition "Turning Points In History: People, Ideas, Events"
Press Release · Thursday, June 8, 2000

Washington, DC

Visitors to the National Archives and Records Administration will see history come alive in dramatic performances and exhibits on Wednesday, June 14th. Young history scholars will present their work reflecting this year's National History Day theme "Turning Points in History: People, Ideas, Events," between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. next to the U.S. Constitution in the Rotunda and on the Portico of the National Archives Building, Constitution Avenue.

From an initial pool of over half a million students, the top 2,000 finalists have been selected to represent their states at the National History Day national contest at the University of Maryland at College Park. These young historians are bringing with them the products of months of research, and creative presentations in the form of dramatic performances, documentaries, exhibits, and papers. Approximately 25 of these students have been selected to represent their states at the nation's most prestigious repository of U.S. history. Represented at the National Archives will be: Colorado, the District of Columbia, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, and South Carolina.

National History Day (NHD) is the nation's leading humanities education program. This June, the program is celebrating 25 years of making history come alive for students across America. The program annually draws more than half a million participants in grades 6-12 in 48 states and the District of Columbia. "After twelve years of participating with eighth grade students in National History Day," states teacher Barbara Allen of Denver, Colorado, "I still say it's the greatest thing I can do with kids."

The NHD program provides students the critical thinking and research skills used in all subject areas. Students research history topics of their choice related to an annual theme and create exhibits, performances, documentaries and papers, which they may enter in competitions at the district, state and national levels. National History Day also provides educational services to students and teachers, including a summer internship program, curricular materials and Web resources, and annual teacher workshops and training institutes.

The National Archives is located at 700 Constitution Avenue, N.W. Admission is free and the building is open to the public. For more information on National History Day visit http://www.NationalHistoryDay.org.

For additional PRESS information, please contact the National Archives Public Affairs staff at (301) 837-1700 or by e-mail.

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