Dickinson State University (DSU) is set to the host the National History Day in North Dakota western regional competition Wednesday, March 13, in the Student Center Ballroom on the campus of DSU. This year’s National History Day theme is “Turning Points in History.”

National History Day in North Dakota is a project-based learning program that emphasizes critical reading and thinking skills, research, analysis, and the drawing of meaningful conclusions. Students can complete these projects in groups or as individuals in one of five categories: documentary, paper, exhibit, performance, or website. They then compete in either the junior (grades 6-8) or senior (grades 9-12) division. 

"Participating in National History Day helps secondary students develop skills important in college and careers including researching, writing, collaborating, and presenting,” stated Dr. Jeff Wells, Dennis and Vaune Johnson Endowed Chair in US History. “We are thankful for our local partners and DSU student volunteers who are helping us grow National History Day in our region."

Regional winners compete at the state contest in April at the North Dakota Heritage Center & State Museum in Bismarck. First and second-place state winners are eligible to compete in the national contest at the University of Maryland, College Park in June. National History Day in North Dakota provides teacher training and classroom resources throughout the year.

Deadlines –

  • Friday, March 1 (11:59 p.m. MT)
    • Registration due. All participants need to login to their account and submit any changes to their project.
  • Tuesday, March 5 (11:59 p.m. MT)
    • All written materials, papers, and websites are due.

To register for the competition, participants must create an account and fill out the user profile. When finished, you should receive a confirmation email from ZFAIRS. To register and for more information regarding the contest, please click here.

 For more information regarding the competition, please contact Dr. Wells at jeff.wells@dickinsonstate.edu or 701-502-4290.