Contra Costa County Office of Education

National History Day

national history day 2026

2026 NHD details

The Contra Costa County Contest will take place on Sunday, March 15, 2026 at Saint Mary's College of California.

The program is open to Contra Costa County students in 4th -12th grade.

Registration will be open from January 1-31, 2026.

Contact Information

E. Elena Songster,NHD CCC Coordinator

nhd.ccc2@gmail.com

WHAT IS NATIONAL HISTORY DAY?

National History Day, is a year-long educational program that encourages students to explore local, state, national, and world history. After selecting a historical topic that relates to an annual theme, students conduct extensive research by using libraries, archives, museums, and oral history interviews. They analyze and interpret their findings, draw conclusions about their topics' significance in history, and create final projects that present their work. These projects can be entered into a series of competitions, from the local to the national level, where they are evaluated by professional historians and educators. Specifically, National History Day - California is one of the largest state History Day competitions, takes place in 34 counties and reaches some 44,000 students each year, culminating in an annual state-wide contest with nearly 1,000 participants. National History Day - California provides an enhanced History Day program, including the elementary student 2-dimensional display category and the website category, which has become part of the national competition.

About National History Day CCC

Details for Historical Papers

WHO CAN PARTICIPATE IN NATIONAL HISTORY DAY?

National History Day welcomes all students in grades 4-12. We encourage participation from students in public, private, parochial, and home schools. This includes English language learners, academically gifted students, average students, and those with special needs. This inclusive program is open to students in Contra Costa County.

A CLOSER LOOK

National History Day (NHD) is a prestigious competition that involves over half a million students across the nation. As part of this program, Contra Costa County History Day offers students the opportunity to engage in authentic, challenging, and project-based learning throughout the entire school year. Participants choose topics and conduct research just like historians, utilizing resources such as libraries, archives, museums, and oral history interviews. Their findings and interpretations are then compiled into their final projects.