Eight National History Day projects from Orange County are headed to the national finals – OCDE Newsroom

Following months of research and county-level victories, eight history projects from Orange County were named champions in their respective categories at this years National History Day California competition and now theyre headed to the NHD National Contest in Maryland.

In all, 59 middle and high school students will represent California at the national National History Day showdown in June, and more than a quarter of them 15, to be exact will come from Orange County campuses.

Six of this years top projects were created by nine students from Sierra Vista Middle and University High schools in the Irvine Unified School District. One winning group submission came from four students enrolled at Santiago Elementary School, a K-8 in Santa Ana Unified, and another came from a duo at Samueli Academy in Santa Ana.

About 600,000 young historians participate annually in National History Day events at the local, state and national levels. Working as individuals or in teams, students in grades 4 through 12 produce exhibits, documentaries, papers, performances and websites based on a given theme.

This years focus is Communication in History: The Key to Understanding.

The 2021 National History Day-Orange County competition was held virtually, as was the state-level edition, which drew 1,169 students from 224 schools. More than 133 historians, educators and other professionals evaluated the submissions, and the awards were announced on YouTube on May 8.

Along with OCs eight advancing champions, nine projects earned medals and six received special awards presented by event sponsors. A full list of honorees can be found at http://www.nhdca.org.

And here are the champions and special award winners from Orange County:

Individual Exhibit

Communicating the Language of the Unheard: The Watts Rebellion of 1965Sol ChoiUniversity High School, Irvine Unified School DistrictTeachers: Jane Huson, Ann Campbell

Rachel Carsons Silent Spring: The Key to Modern Environmentalism and Popular Science CommunicationGrace JinUniversity High School, Irvine Unified School DistrictTeachers: Jane Huson, Ann Campbell

Group Website

You Are the Problem: Communicating the Needs of People with Disabilities through the 504 Sit-InSofia Sevilla, Nataly LopezSamueli Academy, a charter school in Santa AnaTeachers: Devin Beliveau

Individual Documentary

Seeing through His Lens: Lewis Hine, Exposing Child ExploitationHannah ChoSierra Vista Middle School, Irvine Unified School DistrictTeachers: Jonathan Millers, Lianne Linck

Individual Exhibit

We Shall Overcome: Communication During the Civil Rights MovementRiya GuptaSierra Vista Middle School, Irvine Unified School DistrictTeachers: Jonathan Millers, Lianne Linck

Group Exhibit

The March on Washington: Utilizing Media to Communicate a MessageSophie Lee, Kaylyn Chen, Caleigh NystromSierra Vista Middle School, Irvine Unified School DistrictTeachers: Jonathan Millers, Lianne Linck

Group Performance

The Rodney King Riots: Understanding the Importance of Communication in Difficult SituationsAva Bliaya, Jazzelle Castillo, Genesis Mendez, Brooklyn PalacioSantiago Elementary School, Santa Ana Unified School DistrictTeachers: Erik Peterson, Andres Arroyo

Group Website

Hangul: Communication for the Common PeopleAnna Cho, Erin HwangSierra Vista Middle School, Irvine Unified School DistrictTeachers: Jonathan Millers, Lianne Linck

Bessie Reed McDonald Award for Womens HistoryFriends of NHD-CAStarved for Change: Hunger Strikers Communicate the Need for Womens Suffrage in Edwardian EnglandMegan VahdatSage Hill School, a private school Newport Coast

California Council for the Promotion of HistoryStamp Out Smog: Prioritizing Air Pollution ControlKatie KimOrange County School of the Arts, a charter school in Santa Ana

Conference of California Historical Societies (CCHS)Stamp Out Smog: Prioritizing Air Pollution ControlKatie KimOrange County School of the Arts, a charter school in Santa Ana

Elizabeth Avery Award for Social JusticeFriends of NHD-CANina Simone: Using Music to Communicate the Black Racial Injustices of AmericaIvana SiuSierra Vista Middle School, Irvine Unified School District

Medicine in HistoryFriends of NHD-CAThe 1964 Surgeon Generals Report: Communicating the Hazards of Smoking to the PublicAlyssa TangUniversity High School, Irvine Unified School District

William E. Geary Award for Military HistoryLaw Office of Steven M. OlsonCommunication in History: How One Word of Defiance Turned the Tide of World War IISpiro SunUniversity High School, Irvine Unified School District

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Eight National History Day projects from Orange County are headed to the national finals - OCDE Newsroom