Massachusetts Contest Info
2024 Registration and Contest Dates
This year, in recognition of the growth in participation we have seen since the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, we will be holding three regional contests again this March! On this page you'll find contest dates and deadlines, regional assignments, student registration caps per school, and more.
Our 2024 Massachusetts Regional Competitions have concluded: Congratulations to all of our student participants! Our next round is the MA State Competition:
Saturday, April 6th:
Massachusetts State Competition: Winchester High School (80 Skillings Road, Winchester, MA 01890). Contest Coordinator: Kate Melchior, nhd@dhcjcp.com.
- MA State Website and Paper Lockout Date: Wednesday March 27th, 11:59 PM. All websites and papers must be uploaded to the registration portal by the deadline. Exhibits, performances, and documentaries are due on Contest Day.
- Registration Portal: http://ma.nhd.org/. Students and Teachers have already been promoted to the State Contest and DO NOT need to register again!
State Contest: How to Sign Up
Once you have received email confirmation that your project has been promoted, sign in to your profile using your Username and Password from Regionals, answer the permissions questions, and confirm that the information in your profile is correct. If you do not receive an email with a link to register for the state contest by Thursday, March 14th, please email us at nhd@dhcjcp.com.
Please check all of the following:
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Is all of your personal/contact information correct?
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Group Projects: Does your student profile show all of your group members?
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Do you want to keep your project title the same for the state contest?
The Registration Deadline for completing these tasks is on Wednesday, March 27th at 11:59 PM.
If you do not plan to attend States, please email us ASAP at nhd@dhcjcp.com and let us know! This will allow us to notify the Honorable Mention project in your category and give them the opportunity to compete.
In-Person Interviews Required
To be eligible to compete, students must participate in person on contest day and complete an interview with judges. If medical or religious reasons will prevent a student from attending any of our in-person contests, please contact the State Coordinator, Kate Melchior, at nhd@dhcjcp.com no later than March 27th, 2024 to request a virtual interview.
Registration Fees
We want to reduce or eliminate as many barriers to participation in the contests as possible. Thanks to support from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, we have reduced registration fees again this year to $10/student for the Regional Competitions and $10/student for the State Competition; we will also offer registration fee waivers for students who request them by filling out the form at the link.
Travel Assistance
Need help getting to the state contest? Please get in touch! We are prepared to offer bus stipends to cover the costs of transportation to the Regional and State contests as well as other accommodations upon request. Please email us at nhd@dhcjcp.com for more information.
Project Deadlines:
This should look very similar to the Regional Contest, just with different due dates!
Project Category | Materials | Due Date | How to Submit |
Websites | Website site key or URL | Wednesday, March 27th @ 11:59 PM | Save all your changes to your website by the deadline. |
Papers | All paperwork in one document (title page, process paper, essay, annotated bib) | Wednesday, March 27th @ 11:59 PM | Upload single PDF to student registration account (title page, process paper, essay, annotated bib). Only necessary if you make changes to your Paper between Regionals and States. |
Documentaries | Video URL (make sure video link can be played by judges) | April 6th, 8:00 AM (Contest Day) | Save link to student registration account |
Exhibits |
No materials uploaded in advance |
Not applicable | Not applicable |
Performance | No materials uploaded in advance | Not applicable | Not applicable |
More information about the day of the contest will be emailed to you as the contest date draws closer. In the meantime, please contact Contest Coordinator Kate Melchior at nhd@dhcjcp.com with questions. You can also join us for our virtual chats on March 6, 20, 27, and April 3 at http://k8or.dhcjcp.com/masshistoryday/contestinfo.
Day of the Contest
In this chart you’ll find instructions for each project category regarding check-in times and what to bring:
Project Category | Arrival Time | What to Bring | |
Exhibits |
Check in and set up your exhibit table between 8:00 and 8:30 AM. You must set up your own exhibit; a teacher or guardian can’t set it up for you. |
Please bring your exhibit and all associated materials; and three printed copies of your written materials (title page, process paper, annotated bibliography). You will not be able to print at the contest! |
|
Performance | Check in at least 20 minutes before your specified judging time | Please bring any props, scenery, or costumes you need for your performance; and three printed copies of your written materials (title page, process paper, annotated bibliography). You will not be able to print at the contest! |
National Contest
The National Contest will be held from Sunday, June 9th, 2024 to Thursday, June 13th, 2024 in University of Maryland College Park.