$50K to grow Alabama History Day

BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA / Sept. 23, 2021 — The Alabama Humanities Alliance has been awarded $50,000 to expand and diversify participation in Alabama History Day, its history competition that engages students statewide (grades 6-12) in robust and creative historical research.

The new funding comes from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and its special initiative, “A More Perfect Union,” which is distributing $2.8 million to humanities councils across the United States. The Alabama Humanities Alliance is a state affiliate of the NEH and Alabama History Day is the state affiliate contest of National History Day.

With this gift, the Alabama Humanities Alliance can engage more students, teachers, and school systems in Alabama History Day. The goal is to broaden the reach of History Day into areas of the state that have been underrepresented, including underserved communities such as Alabama’s rural Black Belt region and urban, inner city schools. Making Alabama History Day accessible to more students statewide helps to ensure that the research presented is as robust and diverse as Alabama itself.

The next Alabama History Day is scheduled to take place at Auburn University at Montgomery on April 8, 2022. Winners move on to compete in National History Day, held each year in Washington, D.C. The theme for next year’s competition is “Debate & Diplomacy in History: Successes, Failures, Consequences.”

Alabama History Day participants and potential participants — teachers, school administrators, judges, students, and parents — are invited to join our Alabama History Day Facebook Group.

About “A More Perfect Union”
The NEH’s “A More Perfect Union” initiative helps to demonstrate and enhance the critical role the humanities play in our nation and support projects that help Americans commemorate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in 2026. The initiative supports projects that explore, reflect on, and tell the stories of our quest for a more just, inclusive, and sustainable society throughout our history. Learn more. 

About Alabama History Day
Alabama History Day is a competition that engages students in historical research and dynamic storytelling. Each year, National History Day announces an annual theme that helps students pick a research topic of their own choosing. Students then present their findings through one of five mediums: a paper, a documentary, a website, a dramatic performance, or an exhibit. This enables students to become writers, filmmakers, web designers, playwrights, and artists as they create unique, contemporary expressions of history. Learn more on our Alabama History Day site.