National History Day offers middle school and high school students the opportunity to engage in research and produce historical knowledge. Georgia Southwestern State University was one of only a few universities in the state that hosts the event.

From 2016 to 2020, I worked with the Georgia Humanities Council to rebuild what was once one of the largest regional events in the state. I started with 35 students from one private school the first year. The next year, we hosted 60 students from two regional schools. We had 80 students representing five schools in 2019. After making a digital version work during the initial wave of Covid 2020, it did not seem feasible to bring it back in 2021 or 2022.

National History Day at GSW was more than just a contest. Our judges included history professors, local business owners, veterans of the Civil Rights movement, college students, and federal employees in the National Park Service. It brought many different people together.