[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 2]
[Senate]
[Page 2268]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    RECOGNIZING NATIONAL HISTORY DAY

 Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, I would like to take this 
opportunity to recognize National History Day, a yearlong academic 
program focused on improving the teaching and learning of history for 
6th to 12th grade students, for receiving a 2011 National Humanities 
Medal. The National Humanities medals honor achievements in history, 
literature, education, and cultural policy. For the first time ever, a 
K-12 education program has received this prestigious award. National 
History Day was recognized as ``a program that inspires in American 
students a passion for history.''
  Each year more than half a million students, encouraged by thousands 
of teachers nationwide, participate in the yearlong National History 
Day program. Students choose historical topics related to a theme and 
conduct extensive primary and secondary research through libraries, 
archives, museums, oral history interviews, and historic sites. After 
analyzing and interpreting their sources and drawing conclusions about 
the significance of their topics in history, students present their 
work in original papers, Web sites, exhibits, performances, and 
documentaries. These products are entered into competitions in the 
spring, at local, State, and national levels where they are evaluated 
by professional historians and educators. The program culminates in a 
national competition each June. National History Day programs operate 
in all 50 States, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. territories, 
engaging students with its unique approach to the hands-on learning of 
history.
  In addition to discovering the exciting world of the past, National 
History Day also helps students develop the attributes that are 
critical to make them college and career ready. This includes: critical 
thinking and problem-solving skills, research and reading skills, oral 
and written communication and presentation skills, self-esteem and 
confidence, and a sense of responsibility for and involvement in the 
democratic process. With schools spending more resources and time 
focusing on English language arts and mathematics education, it is 
important that programs like National History Day are recognized and 
supported to ensure students receive a quality history and civics 
education.
  The impact of National History Day is also supported by data. A 
recent comprehensive study by Rockman et al found that students who 
participate in National History Day develop a range of college and 
career-ready skills, and outperform their peers on State standardized 
tests across all subjects--including science and mathematics.
  National History Day is much more than a day, it is an evidence-based 
history education program that gives our young people skills to succeed 
in school and post secondary careers as well as a valuable 
understanding of how the world they live in has been shaped by people 
and events of the past. National History Day is a unique program that 
has benefited over 15 million students since 1982. I congratulate them 
on winning the 2011 National Humanities Medal and wish them many more 
years of continued success.

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