National History Day, observed Monday, March 9, challenges students to recount history in new and creative ways. According to the State Historical Society of Iowa, National History Day is, “A year-long academic enrichment program that challenges students to take ownership of the past by conducting original historical research about topics of their choosing and presenting their findings in creative research projects.” 

Dr. Bill Feis, history professor at Buena Vista University (BVU) further expanded on this, “It is a nationwide tool for teachers across the United States to use in finding innovative ways to teach American history beyond textbooks and beyond classroom to get students engaged in doing research and really kind of becoming familiar with history through actual engagement with it.” 

National History Day allows students to get in touch with their inner historian and learn as well as share history in their own way as Dr. Feis said, “they do papers, they do documentaries, they do boards that have information that they stand by, and then they talk to people about it like at science fairs.” 

BVU has also played a role as a part of National History Day as explained by Dr. Dixee Bartholomew-Feis, history professor at BVU and former district coordinator for National History Day explained, “we began hosting it here at the university, and we hosted for about 15 years.” 

Dr. Bartholomew-Feis said, “We’d have 300-400 students on campus, from middle school to high school from all of the area schools and we would have the competitions would be in the forum, and they would it would go for the entire day.”  

“We’d have a big board ceremony at the end, and people would find out if they’re going to go to state from the district competition,” she added.  

This year the theme is “Revolution, Reaction, Reform in History” and, according to National History Day, is about, “The distinctions among revolutions, reactions, and reforms are sometimes blurred. Revolutions and reforms are often reactions to ideas, actions, or events. In turn, revolutions and reforms inspire reactions. Think of it as a domino effect—knock one down, which knocks the next one down, which knocks . . .”