Hawaii History Day

Hawaii History Day is affiliated with National History Day and is conducted in cooperation with the State Department of Education and interested private schools. It involves collaboration between teachers, students, historians in colleges and universities, and local and other museums, historical societies and archives. It includes teacher's support and student activities, and historian assistance to students.

History provides the only avenue we have to reach an understanding of ourselves, our society and of how many things change and others continue, all in relation to the human condition over time. We can be sure that students will experience enormous changes over their lifetimes. History is the discipline that can best help them to understand and deal with change, and at the same time to identify the deep continuities that link past and present.

Hawaii History day is aimed at enriching the learning of history in the schools by getting students to "do history" and move beyond the memorization of dates and events.

Similar in format to science fairs, students in grades 6-12 conduct research and produce a history day project in one of the following formats:

Historical paper (individual only)
Exhibit (individual or group of up to 3 students)
Documentary (individual or group of up to 3 students)
Performance (individual or group of up to 3 students)

Hawaii's schools select student projects for participation in the Hawaii History Day for their school district. District History Days are held on Hawaii, Maui, Kauai and for the four school districts on Oahu in March of each year. Qualifying projects at the district level, participate in State History Day held in Honolulu in April. Outstanding projects at State History Day are eligible to participate in National History Day in mid-June at the University of Maryland at college Park At District, State and National History Days, students with outstanding projects are eligible for various certificates, medals, scholarships and monetary awards.
Waiakea High School has consistently participated in History Day in the senior division and has performed well in School, District, and States and beginning in '97 participated in nationals.