Wow! This year was another exciting year for Alaska History Day with projects exploring the theme “Revolution, Reaction, Reform in History.” Students were asked to address one or more elements of the theme, with many exploring how these concepts interact. These students were not afraid to tackle difficult issues that echo into the present, and considered these legacies in their projects.
Eighty-seven students submitted fifty-three projects to the online contest, which is the qualifying round for National History Day. Forty-one judges reviewed these projects, providing thoughtful comments and suggestions for improvements on the student research projects. They evaluated projects on historical research quality and clarity of presentation across five categories: exhibit, website, documentary, performance, and paper. Students compete against their peers in two divisions: Junior for 6th-8th grades, and Senior for 9-12th grades. They also identified projects for special awards, which come with a monetary prize.
Seven special award judges also reviewed and awarded projects in four areas: Alaska History, Naval and Maritime History, Women in History, and Environmental and Agricultural History.
Thank you so much to educators, parents, and community members in Fairbanks, Anchorage, North Pole, and Unalaska for supporting your students through this rigorous process. Students leave the History Day experience with stronger critical thinking, analysis, project management and teamwork skills thanks to your guidance.
History Day Participants – congratulations to you for your hard work and success!
First and second place winners, please be on the look out for an email from alaskahistoryday@gmail.com with next steps. Honorable mention projects may be given the opportunity to advance should one of the state winners not be available to attend the national contest. School district email servers often block messages from the contest platform and Alaska History Day email – reach out to alaskahistoryday@gmail.com if you need to provide an alternate email for future communication.
Division and Category Awards
Junior Group Documentary
First Place
Title: Flo Hyman’s Legacy
Students: Athena Mercer, Sophia Hernandez
School: North Pole Middle School
City: North Pole, AK
Teacher: Hailey Orozco
Senior Group Documentary
First Place
Title: The 1964 Earthquake: Shaking Up Science and Building Codes
Students: Lukas Eden, Prince Tuvera, Henry Tulip
School: South Anchorage High School
City: Anchorage, AK
Teacher: Heather Beck
Second Place
Title: The Amchitka Nuclear Tests: A Risky Detonation and Explosive Reaction
Students: Natnicha (Michelle) Lord, Honor Herring
School: Unalaska City School District (UCSD)
City: Unalaska, AK
Teacher: Dena Royal
Honorable Mention
Title: The Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster: An Explosion That Rocked History
Students: Layla Gross, Romilly Hinks, Caoimhe Bryers
School: South Anchorage High School
City: Anchorage, AK
Teacher: Alissa Wardwell
Junior Group Exhibit
First Place
Title: Animal Cruelty in the Beauty Industry
Students: Mackenzie Maines, Lindsay Sabey
School: North Pole Middle School
City: North Pole, AK
Teacher: Hailey Orozco
Senior Group Exhibit
First Place
Title: A Sealed Fate: How Colonization Revolutionized Alaska Native Seal Harvesting
Students: Emma Eden, Julia Samuel
School: South Anchorage High School
City: Anchorage, AK
Teacher: Alissa Wardwell
Second Place
Title: The Discovery of Anesthesia: Ending the Age of Agony
Students: Maya Larkin, Jueun Han, Aoibheann Freeman, Jillian Acheson
School: South Anchorage High School
City: Anchorage, AK
Teacher: Alissa Wardwell
Honorable Mention
Title: The Seneca Falls Convention
Students: Makaylin Malone
School: North Pole High School
City: North Pole, AK
Teacher: Wade Jones
Senior Group Performance
First Place
Title: The Klondike Gold Rush: The Hidden Story of Kate Carmack
Students: Charlotte Nelson, Olletta Rosseau, Camilla Brown, Makayla Jacobson
School: South Anchorage High School
City: Anchorage, AK
Teacher: Heather Beck
Second Place
Title: The Revolutionary Woody Guthrie
Students: Annika Schmidt, Kynzie Collianderc
School: South Anchorage High School
City: Anchorage, AK
Teacher: Alissa Wardwell
Junior Group Website
First Place
Title: Bombardment of Angoon – Reactions to a Cultural Clash and Delayed Reforms
Students: Wesley Gruenhagen, River Zaochney
School: Unalaska City School District (UCSD)
City: Unalaska, AK
Teacher: Dena Royal
Second Place
Title: How the Holocaust Changed the World
Students: Oliver Fraissinet, Jonny Hollett
School: North Pole Middle School
City: North Pole, AK
Teacher: Hailey Orozco
Senior Group Website
First Place
Title: The October Revolution: Promise, Peril, and the Dawn of the Soviet Century
Students: Lorie Saboundjian, Nora Graham
School: South Anchorage High School
City: Anchorage, AK
Teacher: Alissa Wardwell
Second Place
Title: Red October: The Two-Day Revolution
Students: Jillian Kline, Adalya Mutini, Jasmine Lamson
School: South Anchorage High School
City: Anchorage, AK
Teacher: Alissa Wardwell
Honorable Mention
Title: The Enron Scandal: Reactions and Reforms
Students: Crina Bivol, Cristina Bivol
School: Unalaska City School District (UCSD)
City: Unalaska, AK
Teacher: Dena Royal
Senior Individual Documentary
First Place
Title: Sondre Norheim and the Revolution of Downhill Skiing
Student: Wayland Roys
School: South Anchorage High School
City: Anchorage, AK
Teacher: Alissa Wardwell
Second Place
Title: Jazz: The Heartbeat of a Moral Revolution
Student: Miriam Armstrong
School: West Valley High School
City: Fairbanks, AK
Teacher: Nicholas Graves
Junior Individual Exhibit
First Place
Title: The Triangle Factory Fire
Student: Hannah Hadfield
School: North Pole Middle School
City: North Pole, AK
Teacher: Hailey Orozco
Second Place
Title: Dr. Katie John’s Fight for Subsistence
Student: Ahia David
School: Ryan Middle School
City: Fairbanks, AK
Teacher: Sean Brewer
Honorable Mention
Title: Voting Rights Act of 1965
Student: Joehannah Hugo
School: Ryan Middle School
City: Fairbanks, AK
Teacher: Sean Brewer
Senior Individual Exhibit
First Place
Title: Alaska Equal Rights Act
Student: Aurora Baker
School: South Anchorage High School
City: Anchorage, AK
Teacher: Alissa Wardwell
Second Place
Title: The Sexual Revolution: Paving the Way for a More Progressive Society
Student: Nora Boling
School: South Anchorage High School
City: Anchorage, AK
Teacher: Alissa Wardwell
Honorable Mention
Title: The Pure Food and Drug Act: Reforming the Food and Pharmacy Industries
Student: Sophia Garcia
School: South Anchorage High School
City: Anchorage, AK
Teacher: Alissa Wardwell
Junior Individual Website
First Place
Title: The Fall of France and the German Occupation
Student: Madalyn Griswold
School: North Pole Middle School
City: Fairbanks, AK
Teacher: Hailey Orozco
Senior Individual Website
First Place
Title: Literature of the Harlem Renaissance: A Catalyst for Change
Student: Adelle Eaton
School: South Anchorage High School
City: Anchorage, AK
Teacher: Alissa Wardwell
Junior Paper
First Place
Title: A Brief History of Native American Rights in the U.S.
Student: Rowan Van Dyke-Strom
School: Ryan Middle School
City: Fairbanks, AK
Teacher: Sean Brewer
Second Place
Title: The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising
Student: Lillian Lupton
School: Ryan Middle School
City: Fairbanks, AK
Teacher: Sean Brewer
Honorable Mention
Title: The Bataan Death March
Student: Jansen Cortez
School: Ryan Middle School
City: Fairbanks, AK
Teacher: Sean Brewer
Senior Paper
First Place
Title: A Toxic Hope: How Chemotherapy Revolutionized Cancer Treatment
Student: Phoebe Wooller
School: West Valley High School
City: Fairbanks, AK
Teacher: Nicholas Graves
Second Place
Title: Hidden Revolutions: How Female Scientists Shaped Reform of Modern Science
Student: Spring Smith-Boger
School: South Anchorage High School
City: Anchorage, AK
Teacher: Alissa Wardwell
Honorable Mention
Title: Operation Northwoods: The U.S. Government’s Plan to Propagandize the Murder of Their Own Citizens
Student: Reid Merrill
School: West Valley High School
City: Fairbanks, AK
Teacher: Heather Damario
Special Awards
Alaska History Award
(Sponsored by Alaska Historical Society)
Junior Group Website
Title: Bombardment of Angoon – Reactions to a Cultural Clash and Delayed Reforms
Students: Wesley Gruenhagen, River Zaochney
School: Unalaska City School District (UCSD)
City: Unalaska, AK
Teacher: Dena Royal
Senior Group Documentary
Title: The 1964 Earthquake: Shaking Up Science and Building Codes
Students: Lukas Eden, Prince Tuvera, Henry Tulip
School: South Anchorage High School
City: Anchorage, AK
Teacher: Heather Beck
NMHS Maritime History Award
(Sponsored by National Maritime Historical Society)
Junior Group Website
Title: Bombardment of Angoon – Reactions to a Cultural Clash and Delayed Reforms
Students: Wesley Gruenhagen, River Zaochney
School: Unalaska City School District (UCSD)
City: Unalaska, AK
Teacher: Dena Royal
Senior Group Documentary
Title: The Amchitka Nuclear Tests: A Risky Detonation and Explosive Reaction
Students: Honor Herring, Natnicha (Michelle) Lord
School: Unalaska City School District (UCSD)
City: Unalaska, AK
Teacher: Dena Royal
Peninsula Prize in Environmental History
(Sponsored by Michael Dahlberg)
Senior Group Exhibit
First Place
Title: A Sealed Fate: How Colonization Revolutionized Alaska Native Seal Harvesting
Students: Emma Eden, Julia Samuel
School: South Anchorage High School
City: Anchorage, AK
Teacher: Alissa Wardwell
Women in History Award
(Sponsored by Anonymous)
results coming soon!