Michigan History Day 2023
Turning Points in History
It's time to dive in to history's many exciting subjects and identify your topic, whether it be Michigan-based, national, or global. Which turning point will you choose?
From National History Day®:
To celebrate our 50th anniversary, NHD’s theme will be Turning Points in History. This year’s theme invites you to consider questions of time and place, cause and effect, change over time, and impact and significance. A turning point in history is more than just an important event that happened a long time ago. It is more than a new idea or a particular action taken by an individual. A turning point is an idea, event, or action that directly, or sometimes indirectly, causes change.
What is Michigan History Day?
Michigan History Day®, a project-based learning program of the Historical Society of Michigan, is a yearlong educational program that encourages students to explore local, state, national, and world history.
Also known as National History Day in Michigan, winners of the state level Michigan History Day competition in the Junior and Senior categories move on to compete in National History Day in College Park, MD.
After selecting a historical topic that relates to the annual theme, students conduct extensive research by using libraries, archives, museums, and oral history interviews. They analyze and interpret their findings, draw conclusions about their topics’ significance in history, and create final projects in one of five categories: paper, exhibit, documentary, website, or performance.
These projects can be entered into a series of competitions, from the local to the national level. Local competitions start at the school-level in February. Regional competitions take place within eleven districts in March. The state finals for Michigan History Day usually take place the last Saturday of April.
Please notify the Historical Society of Michigan through michiganhistoryday@hsmichigan.org if you or your student plans to participate in Michigan History Day. Our staff can help!
Students
Students in grades three through twelve are eligible to compete in MHD contests, but students of any age can use the program. We welcome young scholars from public, private, charter, and virtual schools and those in homeschools as well. Start your historical adventure today!
Educators
Engage your students by allowing them to research a topic of their choice while they develop research skills and build historical literacy. Help the young scholars in your life achieve success whether you work with multiple classes of students, an after school club at your historical organization, or a child in your home.
Judges
Learn from young scholars and share your interest in history by volunteering to judge at a Michigan History Day contest. Judges provide valuable feedback to students through evaluation forms and interviews and select the projects that will advance to the next level of contests. You don't have to be an expert on a historical topic, just an interest in history and a willingness to learn.
Contests
Competitions can be a fun way for students to showcase a year's worth of hard work. Projects selected from school contests are entered at one of eleven district contests across the state. The top three projects in each age division and category at a district contest are eligible to compete at the State Finals in April. Judges select the top two projects in each category of the junior and senior divisions to advance to the National Finals in June. Click the button below to learn about district contests and the State Finals.
