The Indiana Historical Society (IHS) has announced several Indiana students who received special awards and honors at the National Contest for the National History Day (NHD) program held from June 8 to 12 at University of Maryland, College Park.
This year’s National Contest brought together nearly 3,000 students from across the U.S. and international schools. Sixty-five students represented Indiana, having advanced through local and state-level competitions in one of five project categories: documentary, exhibit, paper, performance, or website. Fewer than 1 percent of all projects nationally reach the final contest.
“We are thrilled to be returning to the National Contest this year!” said Lexi Gribble, Manager, Education and NHDI State Coordinator. “Indiana’s students explored this year’s theme of Rights & Responsibilities by creating exhibits, performances, websites, documentaries, and papers. I am incredibly proud of the work they put in to prepare and present their projects for the judges at the National contest. I hope this experience inspires them to continue to explore history and develop strong research skills!”
NHDI is a yearlong program dedicated to enhancing history education in Indiana schools. Students in grades 4 through 12 explore a historical topic related to an annual theme. This year’s theme, “Rights & Responsibilities in History,” invited students to examine how the relationship between individuals and society has been shaped by the balance between what people are entitled to and what is expected of them.
The 2025 NHD National Contest is presented by the Rooker Family Foundation, with support from the Vigran Family Foundation.
For more information, visit IndianaHistory.org/historyday or call (317) 232-1882.
Carmel students who participated in National History Day Contest
2nd Place
Senior Group Documentary
Benjamin Lu, Divya Ariyur, Emma An, Shawn Feng: “Buried Rights and Broken Duties: Love Canal and the Call for Responsibility”
Senior Individual Website
Katelyn Chen: “Gaokao 1977: Restoring Citizens’ Rights and the Chinese Government’s Responsibility to Higher Education”
Honorable Mentions (Top 20 in the Nation)
Senior Group Performance
Ella Guo, Siyu Pei, Tiffany Gao, Zaina Khan: “One Man, One Case, One Legacy: Korematsu’s Stand”
Senior Individual Exhibit
Imogen Catlin: “The Circus”
Outstanding Affiliate Entries
Junior Individual Documentary
Ayan Kalra: “World War II: When Rights Clashed With Responsibility”
Senior Group Performance
Ella Guo, Siyu Pei, Tiffany Gao, Zaina Khan: “One Man, One Case, One Legacy: Korematsu’s Stand”
Showcased Projects
Senior Group Exhibit
Henry Brogan and Sidhanth Kashyap: “Forged and Forgotten: The Steel Industry’s Rights and Responsibilities in the Decline of Gary, Indiana” (Exhibit Showcase at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History)
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