National History Day is open to middle and high school students. It began in 1974 and has expanded to include more than 700,000 students who compete annually. The competition has several categories for competition; they can write a research paper, create a documentary, make an exhibit, build a website or write and perform a live performance in individual or group classification. Approximately 2,000 students will participate in the National History Day this year, held at the University of Maryland.
This year’s theme is “Turning Points in History”. Advancing from the Regional History Day on March 9, 2024, Hauptman recently completed in Louisiana History Day held Apr 13, 2024 at the National WWII Museum in New Orleans, LA. She presented her live performance, “Respect at 50,000 Feet”. Her original script addressed the year’s theme by highlighting American flight attendants in the 1960s-1970’s who demanded respect for their career; they demanded the end to being hired and their roles exploited by the airlines on the grounds that they were female. This movement was one of the first of modern times to end sexism and inequality for women in the workplace.
Hauptman was awarded second place at Louisiana History Day, qualifying for the National History Day Competition. Along with this award, all financial needs to attend the National History Day are being funded by the National WWII Museum in New Orleans. This year’s National History Day will be even more special for students attending as they will also have the opportunity to perform or present their projects at several Smithsonian Museums in Washington, D.C.. They also have the opportunity to be part of a PBS documentary being filmed about the event during the week. Prizes for top submissions on the national level include cash prizes of $500-1000 and various scholarships.
