National History Day in DC 2025: By the Numbers

Photo by Cindy Centeno

On March 15, 2025 more than 90 students and their cheer squad composed of caregivers, teachers, DC History Center staff, and MLK Library goers, participated in the first in-person National History Day in DC contest since 2019. Ranging from grades 6–12, students composed projects on a variety of topics, all related to this year’s National History Day theme, Rights and Responsibilities in History. Spanning all five categories—paper, exhibit, documentary, website, and performance—students competed against their peers who were in the same grade bands, categories, and submitted a project either individually or in a group of up to five people.  

They represented: 

13 SCHOOLS

1. • Benjamin Banneker HS 
   • Capital City PCS HS 
   • Deal MS 
   • Duke Ellington School of the Arts
   • MacArthur HS 
   • National Cathedral School 
   • Oyster-Adams Bilingual School
   • Real World History/Center for Inspired Teaching
   • Sidwell Friends School
   • St. Alban’s
   • Stuart-Hobson MS Capitol Hill Cluster
   • Templeton Academy DC
   • Washington Latin PCS 

6 DC WARDS

5 DC HISTORY-FOCUSED PROJECTS:

• • The Highlands: A Story of Slavery in the Nation’s Capital
  • AIDS in DC: No paper trail, just a real crisis 
  • DC: A Fight For Representation 
  • Right to Shelter: DC’s Responsibility 
  • Julius Hobson’s Fight for D.C.’s Rights 

DC history-focused projects are participating in the DC History Showcase (Saturday, April 5, 1:15-3:15 pm) at the DC History Center’s annual conference. Students that finished in first or second place in their categories and divisions are eligible to compete in the national contest at UMD College Park from June 8–12!  

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Photos by Cindy Centeno