Numerous Carmel students advance to 2026 National History Day in Indiana state contest

The Indiana Historical Society (IHS) has announced that students from across north central Indiana are advancing to the 2026 National History Day in Indiana (NHDI) State Contest after a successful regional competition held Saturday, March 14.

The North Central regional contest, hosted at Carmel High School, brought together nearly 200 students from Delaware, Hamilton, Lake, Madison, and Marion counties. After presenting projects representing months of in-depth research and preparation, top finalists earned the opportunity to compete at the 2026 NHDI State Contest on April 18 at Marian University in Indianapolis.

Locally, the following Carmel students were recognized:

• Junior Individual Documentary: “Hippies: The Counterculture of Artistic Revolution” – Lucy Feng (Clay Middle School)
• Senior Paper: “The Labor Revolution: How Eugene V. Debs Transformed Socialism and Worker Rights Across America” – Jack Stevenson (Carmel High School)
• Senior Individual Documentary: “Actus Reus of Revolutions: The Thin Blue Line and Reformations in Consequence” – Erin An (Carmel High School)
• Senior Group Documentary: “The Reformation of Nuclear History: Lisbon Protocol 1992” – Austin Szalavari and Ivan Florman (Carmel High School); “The Crime of the Century: How the Kidnapping of Charles Lindbergh Jr. Changed the Law Enforcement System of Dealing with Kidnapping Cases, and Media Coverage in Crime” – Gianna Gaskill, Mia Elliott (Carmel High School); “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); “Navajo Code Talkers: A Symbol of Pride” – Emma Gavrilut, Avery Brenner (Carmel High School)
• Senior Individual Website: “The Triangle Shirtwaist Company Fire of 1911’s Effect on Labor Laws in the United States” – Mia Taliaferro (Carmel High School): “Free Riders or Fair Share? How an Indiana Agency Shop Battle Reshaped American Labor Law” – Sheza Nawaz (Carmel High School): “Resisting Hate: Notre Dame Students’ Revolutionary Response to the Ku Klux Klan” – Katelyn Chen (Carmel High School)
• Senior Group Website: “The War Powers Resolution: Redefining the Separation of Powers in the Vietnam Era” – Katie Zhao, Olivia Lim, Stephanie Tan, Valerie Fu (Carmel High School); “Indianapolis Streetcar Strike of 1913” – Evyn Arockia, Jeonghu Yang, Luke Zhang (Carmel High School)
• Senior Individual Exhibit: “Reaction, Reform, and Quakers” – Grant Block (Carmel High School); “The Floating Hells and the Voyage to Modern Prisons” – Sophia Andres (Carmel High School); “Blood Money The True Story Behind the UK Blood Scandal and How it Reformed the NHS and Health Regulations” – Thea Purvis (Carmel High School); “The Berlin Wall: The Wall That Helped Expand Democracy” – Ashley Kent (Carmel High School); “Reforms in Food Consumer Safety: Welcome To The Jungle” – Beatrix Marshall (Carmel High School)
• Senior Group Exhibit: “When Words Became War: Political and Religious Tensions Result in the Nauvoo Expositor Incident – a Turning Point in American Religious History” – Joslyn Pellin, Mackenzie Millis (Carmel High School); “Dorothea Dix and the Central State Hospital” – Isabella Henderson, Kate Templeman (Carmel High School); “Insulin: A Partnership, a Revolution, and Millions of Lives” – Thomas Washburn, Tyler Carlston (Carmel High School)

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.

“National History Day gives students the opportunity to dive deeply into history and discover how the past continues to shape the world around them,” IHS CEO Jody Blankenship said. “The level of research, creativity and thoughtful analysis displayed is remarkable. We are proud to see these students contribute to the ongoing story of how we understand our past.”

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.

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