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Contests
Students may choose to participate in a regional contest, where they can qualify for the State contest. If they choose to compete at the State contest, they may qualify for the national contest in College Park, Maryland.
There are three divisions: Youth Division (grades 4-5), Junior Division (grades 6-8) and Senior Division (grades 9-12). Junior and Senior divisions are eligible for the national contest. While contests can develop additional skills and provide helpful feedback on projects, teachers are free to participate in as much or as little of the formal contests as they desire.
A contest fee of $15 is required for each student participating in a regional contest. This fee also covers participation in the State contest if students advance from their regional contest.
Educators who judge at NHDI contests can earn PGP points.
Details on how to register to judge can be found here.
If you are interested in entering a regional contest, all educators and students should complete the registration information for the specific contest. All registration will run through the National registration system and will open at the beginning of January
NHDI 2026 Regional Contest Map
Check the tabs below to see information about specific contests!
Date: Saturday, February 21st, 2026
Location: John J. Young Middle School, Mishawaka
Registration Opens: Monday, January 5th, 2026
Registration Deadline: Monday, February 9th, 2026, 11:59 PM
Website Lock, Paper, and Documentary Link Submission Deadline: Wednesday, February 11th, 2026, 11:59 PM
Project Paperwork (All Project Types) Due: Wednesday, February 11th, 2026, 11:59 PM
Awards Ceremony: Saturday, February 22nd, 2025, 3 PM, John J. Young Middle School
Date: Saturday, February 28th, 2026
Location: Franklin College, Franklin
Registration Opens: Monday, January 5th, 2026
Registration Deadline: Tuesday, February 17th, 2026, 11:59 PM
Website Lock, Paper, and Documentary Link Submission Deadline: Wednesday, February 18th, 2026, 11:59 PM
Project Paperwork (All Project Types) Due: Wednesday, February 18th, 2026, 11:59 PM
Awards Ceremony: Saturday, February 28th, 2026, 2 PM, Franklin College
Date: Saturday, March 14th, 2026
Location: Carmel High School, Carmel
Registration Opens: Monday, January 5th, 2026
Registration Deadline: Monday, March 2nd, 2026, 11:59 PM
Website Lock, Paper, and Documentary Link Submission Deadline: Wednesday, March 4th, 2026, 11:59 PM
Project Paperwork (All Project Types) Due: Wednesday, March 4th, 2026, 11:59 PM
Awards Ceremony: Saturday, March 14th, 2026, 2:30 PM, Carmel High School
Date: Saturday, March 7th, 2026
Location: Hanover College, Hanover
Registration Opens: Monday, January 5th, 2026
Registration Deadline: Monday, February 23rd, 2026, 11:59 PM
Website Lock, Paper, and Documentary Link Submission Deadline: Wednesday, February 25th, 2026, 11:59 PM
Project Paperwork (All Project Types) Due: Wednesday, February 25th, 2026, 11:59 PM
Awards Ceremony: Saturday, March 7th, 2026, 12 PM, Hanover College
Date: Saturday, April 18th, 2026
Location: Marian University, Indianapolis
Registration is promoted from regional contest.
Account Updates Due: Monday, April 6th, 2026, 11:59 PM
Website Lock, Paper, and Documentary Link Submission Deadline: Wednesday, April 8th, 2026, 11:59 PM
Project Paperwork (All Project Types) Due: Wednesday, April 8th, 2026, 11:59 PM
The National Contest is the final stage of a series of contests at local and state/affiliate levels. Students begin their journey by presenting their projects in classrooms, schools, and districts around the world. Top entries are invited to the state/affiliate level contests. The top two entries in every category at the state/affiliate level are then invited to the National Contest.
Contests can be a fun way to display the hard work you put into your project. If you have never been to a contest before, contests can seem daunting. On contest day, be sure to arrive early, so you have plenty of time to register and set up your project. Also, make sure to bring four copies of your process paper and bibliography for judging. It is always a good idea to bring snacks, water and activities for after your judging time.
You will also have an interview with the judges on contest day. While judges may ask any questions they have, here are some common questions to thing about before the contest.
- Why did you choose this topic?
- Could you explain how your project relates to this year’s theme?
- What was your most valuable source and why?
- How do you think your topic impacted history?
- What was the most interesting thing you learned?
- (For groups) How did you divide up the work? How did you decide on who did what?
- What was the most challenging thing about your project?
- Why did you choose to create a (paper, documentary, exhibit, website, performance)?
- As you did your research, what surprised you most about the topic?
- How did your primary sources help you understand the topic?
- How did your thesis evolve? Did it change from when you started researching to when you were assembling your project?
- What is the most important point you are trying to convey about your topic? Why?
- Why did you pick this topic?
- What were the most important factors which caused (the event in question) to occur?
- What did you learn about this topic that you didn’t know before?
- Did you find conflicting information in your sources? If so, how did you deal with this?
- Is there anything you weren’t asked that you would like to talk about? (Tip: Always say something to this question!)
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