Local students advance to 2026 National History Day state contest

The Indiana Historical Society (IHS) has announced that more than 300 students from schools across the state took part in the 2026 National History Day in Indiana (NHDI) State Contest at Marian University on Saturday, April 18. NHDI is a yearlong academic program designed to strengthen history education for students in grades four through 12.

Each year, participants select a historical topic connected to an annual theme and conduct extensive primary and secondary source research. The 2025–2026 theme, “Revolution, Reaction, Reform in History,” challenges students to explore how individuals, communities, and governments have balanced freedoms and civic duties throughout history.

Students present their findings in one of five categories: documentary, exhibit, paper, performance, or website. Advancement to the state contest requires qualification through one of seven regional competitions held across Indiana.

“We are incredibly proud of Hoosier students who continue to raise the bar with their curiosity and thoughtfulness,” IHS CEO Jody Blankenship said. “History is not something they simply inherit, it’s something they actively build an understanding of together. Programs like National History Day ensure the next generation doesn’t just learn about the past, but learns how to think critically about it, connect it to their communities and carry those lessons forward.”

Through its project-based, inquiry-driven model, NHDI gives students ownership of their learning by guiding them to develop research questions, analyze evidence and present conclusions in creative and compelling ways. From classroom projects to regional and state competitions, the program builds critical thinking, analytical and presentation skills while fostering meaningful collaboration between students and educators.

Students qualified for state by taking part in regional contests where 120 volunteer judges worked in teams to evaluate projects and rank winners. All regional finalists advanced to the state contest, where students also had the chance to win special prizes for Indiana history topics.

For more information about National History Day in Indiana, visit indianahistory.org/historyday or call (317) 232-1882.

National History Day in Indiana is presented by Rooker Family Foundation with support from the Vigran Family Foundation.

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Local students who advanced

Junior Individual Documentary

3rd – “Hippies: The Counterculture of Artistic Revolution” – Lucy Feng (Clay Middle School)

Senior Group Documentary

1st – “From Reaction to Reform: How ACT UP’s “Inside–Outside” Strategy Revolutionized AIDS Activism” – Benjamin Lu, Divya Ariyur, Emma An, Shawn Feng (Carmel High School)

Senior Individual Website

1st – “The Catalyst for Change: Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring and the Revolution, Reaction, and Reform in Environmental Policy” – Iman Hallab (Eman Schools)

2nd – “Resisting Hate: Notre Dame Students’ Revolutionary Reaction to the Ku Klux Klan” – Katelyn Chen (Carmel High School)

3rd – “The Triangle Shirtwaist Company Fire of 1911’s Effect on Labor Laws in the United States” – Mia Taliaferro (Carmel High School)

Senior Group Website

1st – “The War Powers Resolution: Redefining the Separation of Powers in the Vietnam Era” – Katie Zhao, Olivia Lim, Stephanie Tan, Valerie Fu (Carmel High School)

2nd – “The Wounds of Labor Justice: Revolution, Reaction, and Reform in the Indianapolis Streetcar Strike of 1913” – Evyn Arockia, Joenghu Yang, Luke Zang (Carmel High School)

Senior Individual Exhibit

1st – “The Floating Hells and the Voyage to Modern Prisons” – Sophia Andres (Carmel High School)

2nd – “Blood Money The True Story Behind the UK Blood Scandal and How it Reformed the NHS and Health Regulations” – Thea Purvis (Carmel High School)

3rd – “Reaction, Reform, and Quakers” – Grant Block (Carmel High School)

Senior Group Exhibit

1st – “Insulin: A Partnership, a Revolution, and Millions of Lives” – Thomas Washburn, Tyler Carlston (Carmel High School)

2nd – “Dorothea Dix and the Central State Hospital” – Isabella Henderson, Kate Templeman (Carmel High School)

3rd – “The 6888 and the Letters that Saved the War” – Journee Collins, Oli Muyumba (North Central High School)

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Roy F. Stringer Memorial Prize for Labor Unions in Indiana: “The Wounds of Labor Justice: Revolution, Reaction, and Reform in the Indianapolis Streetcar Strike of 1913” – Evyn Arockia, Jeonghu Yang, Luke Zhang, Senior Group Website (Carmel High School)

Indiana Local History Prize – Senior Division: “Resisting Hate: Notre Dame Students’ Revolutionary Reaction to the Ku Klux Klan” – Katelyn Chen, Senior Individual Website (Carmel High School)

Indiana Women in Politics Prize: “Dorothea Dix and the Central State Hospital” – Kate Templeman and Isabella Henderson, Senior Group Exhibit (Carmel High School)

William Henry Smith Memorial Library Prize: “Free Riders or Fair Share? How an Indiana Agency Shop Battle Reshaped American Labor Law” – Sheza Nawaz, Senior Individual Website, (Carmel High School)