New York City History Day FAQs
If you don't see your question answered below, please email nychd@bklynlibrary.org.
General FAQs
New York City History Day is the regional contest for National History Day (NHD), a program that provides over half a million students each year the opportunity to excel at historical research, interpretation and creative expression. Read more about how NHD helps students succeed.
Any Middle and High School student, including home-schooled students, attending school in New York City can participate in NYCHD. Grades 6-8 participate in the Junior Division. Grades 9-12 participate in the Senior Division.
History Day is a fantastic opportunity for students to explore a historical topic they are passionate about. Students take full ownership over their project, choosing what to research, how to present their findings, and who they want to work with. Students gain skills in independent research, critical thinking, and creative expression.
Students can submit History Day projects in five categories: Documentary, Exhibit, Paper, Performance, and Website. For every category except papers, students can choose to enter individually or in a group of 2-5 people.
History Day 2026 registration is open until February 4 at 10 PM. Documentaries, Performances, and Exhibits will be presented in-person on March 1 at the Central Branch of the Brooklyn Public Library (Grand Army Plaza)
The 2026 NYCHD competition will be hybrid. Papers, and Websites will be judged virtually. Documentaries, Exhibits, and Performances will be judged in-person at BPL's Central Library. This is a slight changes from previous years. Both the State and the National competitions are fully in-person.
New York State History Day will be held in person at SUNY Oneonta on Sunday, April 27, 2025. National History Day will be held in person at the University of Maryland from June 8 - June 12, 2025.
When registration opens, Students, Teachers, and Judges can all Register Here. All projects must upload the required written materials to their registration profile by the submission deadline. Papers, and Websites must be submitted online as well. Exhibits, Documentaries, and Performances are presented for in person judging.
Click Here to visit the NHD Contest Rule and Evaluation page.
It is free! The Center for Brooklyn History covers all application fees for every single student. This includes any fees if you advance to the State or National competitions. Travel and accommodation scholarships will be available for the State and National competitions.
The 2026 History Day theme is "Revolution, Reaction, Reform in History." All projects must connect to the theme. Click here for the NHD theme guide.
Teacher FAQs
Click here to explore our research tools for teachers. You can find guides, videos, and workshops.
Yes! Many teachers incorporate History Day into their teaching and curriculum. For tips on how to do this, or to set up a class visit or meeting, please send us an email at nychd@bklynlibrary.org.
Each school can submit a maximum of 2 projects per division and per category. For example, a school can submit 2 individual documentaries and 2 group documentaries (etc.) However, a school cannot submit 3 individual documentaries. Unfortunately, at this time the registration system will not block a fourth student from registering for the contest, but they will eventually be notified by the History Day coordinator and disqualified. Please work with your students to prevent this from occurring before the contest deadline. If many students from your school would like to participate in History Day, we recommend having an in-school contest prior to the NYC regional contest. For more information or assistance preparing for an in-school contest reach out to NYCHD@BklynLibrary.org.
Student FAQs
Click here to explore our research tools for students. You can find videos, guides, and tips for creating your projects.
Yes, you can focus on any place or period across history as long as it is linked with the annual theme and includes primary and secondary sources. The 2025 theme is "Rights and Responsibilities in History."
Students can choose whether they want to work individually or in a group (2-5 people) for every category except papers. For papers, only individual entries are allowed.
It depends! We recommend giving yourself a minimum of two months to complete your project. This includes the research, planning, writing, editing, and citing stages. This work will not be every day. For example, you might spend a couple of evenings each week and some time on the weekend working on History Day.
All students must have a sponsor teacher to enter NYCHD. Teachers must register before students, so make sure your teachers have agreed to this before you apply. Teachers, check back soon for a pre-registration link.
Yes! Just include your home-school teacher as your sponsor teacher.
Judge FAQs
History Day relies on volunteers to judge the competition. Volunteers are often teachers, museum or non-profit workers, parents, librarians, and interested members of the community. In 2026, judges will have the option of judging Papers or Websites virtually over a few weeks in February, or judge Documentaries, Exhibits, or Performances in-person for one full day at BPL's Central Library Branch on Sunday, March 1.
Judges should Click Here for the registration website.
Want to Know More?
Information and Resources for:
Also Check Out:
New York State History Day Website
Congratulations to our 2026 NYCHD Winners!
New York City History Day Winners!
New York State History Day Winners from the NYC region
Previous Winners
2025 History Day Winners!
New York City History Day Winners
New York State History Day Winners from the NYC region
National History Day Winners and Participants from the NYC region
2024 History Day Winners!
New York City History Day Winners
New York State History Day Winners from the NYC region
National History Day Winners and Participants from the NYC region
2023 History Day Winners!
New York City History Day Winners
New York State History Day Winners from the NYC region
National History Day Winners from the NYC region
New York City History Day is generously supported by the Rose M. Badgeley Residuary Charitable Trust and the Morris and Alma Schapiro Fund.
Upcoming Events
CBH Talk | The Battle of Brooklyn Revisited: A Screening & Conversation
The Battle of Brooklyn, the largest battle of the American Revolution, unfolded across landscapes many of us pass every day without realizing the history beneath our feet. This screening of The Brave Man, directed by filmmaker Joseph M. McCarthy brings that pivotal moment vividly to life…
CBH Talk | Puerto Rico at a Crossroads
As Puerto Rico confronts mounting economic pressures, climate vulnerability, migration, and renewed debates over sovereignty and self-determination, questions about the island’s political future have taken on new urgency. In the wake of the most recent election cycle, what paths lie ahead for…
CBH Talk | Queer Modernism and “The Little Review” - How Margaret Anderson and Jane Heap Reshaped Literature and Each Other
This Pride Month, the Center for Brooklyn History turns to the story of Margaret Anderson and Jane Heap, the visionary editors behind "The Little Review," whose partnership, both personal and professional, helped shape the course of modern literature.
At a time when both queerness…
CBH Talk | Black Brooklyn’s Fight for Community Control: From Ocean Hill-Brownsville to "Livonia Chow Mein"
As Black residents of Brooklyn neighborhoods like Brownsville and East New York continue to confront displacement, inequality, and questions of who has the power to shape community life, what can earlier movements for self-determination teach us about the present moment? And how can literature…
Exhibition Tour, The Battle of Brooklyn: Fought and Remembered
Join us at the Center for Brooklyn History for a free tour of The Battle of Brooklyn: Fought and Remembered.
In August of 1776, the first and largest battle of the American Revolution took place in what is now Brooklyn, NY. The Battle of Brooklyn: Fought and Remembered uses primary…
Roots Across the Water: Reclaim. Research. Restore.
Join Panelists Dr. Gabrielle Hutchins and Kristian Balgobin to explore Caribbean ancestry as an act of cultural preservation, identity building, and intergenerational empowerment. Participants will learn how to research Caribbean family history, preserve ancestral narratives, and document lineage.…
CBH Talk | An Unfinished Revolution: Dialogues on Freedom and Democracy with Khalil Gibran Muhammad
Marking the 250th anniversary of the nation’s founding, join us to reflect, reckon, and reimagine the ideals at the heart of the American experiment.
Across three evenings, CBH invites distinguished historians to select short readings as starting points for guided public…
CBH Talk | Building Access: The History and Future of Disability Rights
The disability rights movement has transformed American life and expanded access, opportunity, and civil rights for millions of people. These hard-won gains are the result of decades of organizing, advocacy, and political struggle. And the fight for equality continues.
As we celebrate July…
Exhibition Tour, The Battle of Brooklyn: Fought and Remembered
Join us at the Center for Brooklyn History for a free tour of The Battle of Brooklyn: Fought and Remembered.
In August of 1776, the first and largest battle of the American Revolution took place in what is now Brooklyn, NY. The Battle of Brooklyn: Fought and Remembered uses primary…
Exhibition Tour- People Making Power: Politics in Brooklyn
People Making Power: Politics in Brooklyn explores the history of politics in the borough of Brooklyn. By highlighting three levels of political action: block level politics, political clubs, and Brooklyn politicians passing legislation in Congress, the exhibition allows visitors to see how…
Registration is open!
2026 contest registration is open between January 5 and February 4 at 10 PM.
Get In Touch
Send an email to NYC History Day.