Judging & Volunteering
Welcome
NHD Judges
National History Day in Wisconsin is gearing up for a fantastic contest season, but we can’t do it without your help! We are looking for volunteer judges with diverse professional experiences, different background knowledge, and a passion for history to give students the best feedback.
Do you like history? Do you enjoy working with kids?
Each year through National History Day (NHD), thousands of middle and high school students present their work at contests. Students select and research a topic connected to a yearly theme. They then create an exhibit, documentary, research paper, website, or performance.
As a NHD judge, you’ll work in a team to evaluate creative projects, interview students, and offer constructive feedback on their work. Judges view between five and eight projects. An evaluation form is provided prompting judges to look for balanced research, context, and an argument.
Sign Up Today!
What Our Volunteers Do
Volunteers from around the state read the students' research and view their projects, giving thoughtful feedback.
About a week before the contest, you will log in and review the student's process paper and bibliography. At the contest, you will view the project itself and chat with the student for a few minutes about their project. Then you and your judging team will choose which projects to advance to the next level and provide written comments on how they can improve.
Who Our Volunteers Are
Our volunteers come from all backgrounds, all over the state.
No experience with history is required! We will provide all the training you need. We offer virtual training webinars in addition to the morning orientation at the contest.
Judging Tips
- No one is an expert on all of the topics you will see. Focus on the thesis statement, support of that thesis statement, and their research.
- Everything included in the project should support what is said in the thesis. What is a thesis statement? A couple of sentences and argument on what the project is about. A strong thesis is a roadmap for the project.
- Analyze the bibliography. Look for primary sources that are not just newspapers, and secondary sources that are not just websites. A balanced research project should include sources about the subject from various perspectives!
- Look for the effort. This will not be and is not meant to be the most comprehensive work on the subject.
- Take your time. Give the student the kind of written feedback you would like on your work. Without written comments, our students don’t know what they did well or what they could improve.
Sign up to Judge
Listed to the right are the locations of the Regionals and State contest. To sign up, please click on the contest registration link. Each location will have instructions on how to sign up.
NHD contests take place throughout Wisconsin in March and April.
We're Here to Help
The Wisconsin National History Day office is available to answer any questions you have!
Email UsRegional Coordinators
More National History Day
National History Day is more than a day: It’s a process, a creative outlet, and a confidence-building experience. It's an opportunity to think beyond the textbook in your classroom and develop a memorable project. Students who participate can research any kind of history and present their conclusions and evidence through papers, exhibits, performances, documentaries, or websites.
Learn More about NHD
