History Day FAQs

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.

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.

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.

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.