National History Day Themed-records Now Online
Press Release · Thursday, August 24, 2000

Washington, DC

The National Archives and Records Administration announces a new project in the Digital Classroom section of its web site. "Frontiers in History: Ideas from the National Archives," presents descriptions of 44 collections of records that are available for student research and relate to the 2001 National History Day Theme: Frontiers in History: People, Places, Ideas. The URL is http://www.archives.gov/digital_classroom/history_day/frontiers_in_history/frontiers_in_history.html.

Last year, nearly 600,000 students participated in National History Day, the yearlong, nationwide educational program that fosters academic achievement and intellectual growth while encouraging students in grades 6-12 to get excited about history. The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) recognizes that students participating in this program acquire useful historical knowledge while developing research, critical-thinking, and problem-solving skills that will help them locate, manage, and use information now and in the future. Archivist of the United States John W. Carlin has been a member of the National History Day Board of Directors since 1996, and NARA is proud to support the program throughout the year.

NARA's online resource "Frontiers in History: Ideas From the National Archives" encourages students to investigate archival resources related to a wide range of subjects, including air and space, atomic energy, civil rights, the environment, and foreign affairs. The described resources are available from the Hoover, Truman, Eisenhower, and Johnson Presidential libraries, and NARA's regional facilities in Atlanta, Kansas City, Denver, and Seattle.

"Frontiers in History: Ideas From the National Archives" is the latest in a series of online projects that the National Archives and Records Administration produces for teachers and students to encourage archival research. Other exercises use NARA's online database and online finding aids. For a full listing, visit National History Day.