PHILADELPHIA, PA – February 17, 2025 – National History Day® (NHD) and Carpenters’ Hall are proud to announce the second-ever Young People’s Continental Congress (YPCC), which will again be held in Philadelphia this upcoming July. Carpenters’ Hall, the home of the nation’s First Continental Congress in 1774, has engaged National History Day as its lead educational partner to produce a one-of-a-kind program for students and teachers from across the United States and its territories.
In 2024, NHD and Carpenters’ Hall piloted YPCC with 14 student-teacher teams from the original 13 colonies, plus one team from Philadelphia. The program was well-received by students, teachers, cultural institutions in Philadelphia, and the city’s tourism and hospitality community. In response to the pilot program, Philadelphia City Council – through the Philadelphia Cultural Fund – along with the Philadelphia Funder Collaborative for the Semiquincentennial and many other donors have come together to fund a 2025 iteration of the program with 27 teams. Each team includes one high school student and one teacher, for a total of 54 delegates.
This year’s YPCC delegates represent both rural and urban areas across the United States and Guam. In addition to completing online learning modules throughout spring 2025 about subjects such as the Continental Congress, the Boston Massacre, and economic liberty in Colonial America, the student-teacher teams will convene in Philadelphia from July 14-18 for a week of special programming and field learning opportunities at sites such as Carpenters’ Hall, Independence National Historical Park, the National Constitution Center, the Museum of the American Revolution, and the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. Delegates will also co-create and sign a joint declaration of their aspirations for American democracy, just as their historical counterparts issued the Declaration of Colonial Rights and the Declaration of Independence. YPCC is a National Partner Program of America250.
“We are excited to expand the Young People’s Continental Congress for a second year and represent the United States’ full geographic diversity,” said Carpenters’ Hall Executive Director Michael Norris. “Our delegates will engage with leading historians and gain special access to Philadelphia’s unparalleled museums, historic sites and archives. The 2025 program promises to be truly inspiring and life-changing.”
“National History Day is thrilled to once again help lead YPCC,” said NHD Executive Director Dr. Cathy Gorn. “YPCC is a unique opportunity for students and teachers to collaborate as they study our country’s founding era, examine primary documents and locations in the city where history was made and meet people from across the country and world. As we prepare to celebrate America’s 250th birthday in 2026, YPCC is the perfect program to engage students and teachers in examining the past while looking toward the future.”
“On behalf of the Philadelphia City Council, I want to congratulate the 54 delegates of the 2025 Young People’s Continental Congress,” said City Councilmember Mark Squilla, whose district includes Carpenters’ Hall. “We are excited to welcome these bright students and teachers to the birthplace of our nation’s democracy this summer. The delegation is set for a unique week of immersive experiential learning in the city where the Continental Congress met starting in 1774. We look forward to showing them the many gems that make the City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection a world-class destination, from historical and cultural sites to the famous foods like cheesesteaks and soft pretzels that shape Philadelphia’s identity. City Council’s philanthropic support of YPCC is another investment in safeguarding our democracy, as these caring and dedicated high school students are our future leaders.”
Congratulations to the students and teachers selected for the 2025 Young People’s Continental Congress:
Alabama
Ms. Natalie Wright & Chrys Wright
Brewbaker Middle School / Booker T. Washington Magnet High School, Montgomery
California
Mr. Aurelio Cortez & Nina Echevarria
Canyon Springs High School, Moreno Valley
Connecticut
Mrs. Regina Lee & Dominik Rose
Vernon Center Middle School / Rockville High School, Rockville
Delaware
Ms. Barbara Stefani & Zhara Waters
St. Mark’s High School, Wilmington
District of Columbia
Ms. Hayle Russell & Gael Grim-Garcia
Templeton Academy D.C.
Georgia
Ms. Arminda Lawrence, Sr. & Jon Soren UyHam
Pace Academy, Atlanta
Guam
Mr. Brian Paul Galang & Kobe Miyashita
Father Duenas Memorial School
Indiana
Mrs. Emily Lewellen & Genevieve Laguna
Brown County High School, Nashville
Iowa
Ms. Cheryl Smith & Paige Neighbors
Johnston High School, Johnston
Minnesota
Mr. Chris Griggs & Mirabel Sinykin
Edina High School, Edina
Missouri
Mx. Liam Dale & Henry Elliott
Lincoln College Preparatory Academy, Kansas City
Montana
Mrs. Taylor Olsen & Ella Cooney
Harlowton High School, Harlowton
Nebraska
Mrs. Cass Didier & Lauren Culver
Waverly High School, Waverly
New Jersey
Ms. Christy Marrella & Aidan Smeglin
Rosa Middle School / Cherry Hill High School East, Cherry Hill
New York
Mrs. Mariah Duffy & Isabel Ginsberg
George W. Hewlett High School, Hewlett
North Carolina
Ms. Carrie Pratt & Sophia Nerenberg
Clyde A. Erwin Middle School / Martin L. Nesbitt Discovery Academy, Asheville
North Dakota
Mrs. Morgan Keena & Garrett Wells
Heritage Middle School / Horace High School, Horace
Pennsylvania
Ms. Jennifer Ameigh & Sophia Hyatt
Sayre High School, Sayre
South Carolina
Mr. Marc Turner & Nitya Cherukumalli
Spring Hill High School, Chapin
South Dakota
Mr. Austin Olson & Elizabeth Meyer
Waverly-South Shore School, Waverly
Tennessee
Ms. Kelly Davis & Skyler Huskey
Chattanooga School for the Arts and Sciences, Chattanooga
Texas
Ms. Karyn Cabana & Xavian Nguyen
Clear Falls High School, League City
Texas
Ms. Julietta Rojas & Theodora Ordaz
Valle Verde Early College High School, El Paso
Vermont
Mrs. Yelena Synkova & Ekaterina Synkova
Home School, Roxbury
Virginia
Mrs. Aroostine Sheston & Nam Nguyen
Brooke Point High School, Stafford
Washington
Mrs. Kathleen Hartman & Cooper Brix
Leota Middle School / Woodinville High School, Woodinville
Wisconsin
Ms. Kate Van Haren & Olivia Moore
Pittsville Elementary School / Pittsville High School, Pittsville
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About National History Day: NHD is a non-profit organization based in College Park, Maryland, that seeks to improve the teaching and learning of history. Established in 1974, NHD currently engages more than half a million students each year in conducting original research on historical topics of interest and supports teachers through professional development opportunities. Students present their research as a documentary, exhibit, paper, performance, or website. Projects compete first at the local and affiliate levels, where the top entries are invited to the annual National Contest at the University of Maryland at College Park. NHD is sponsored in part by WEM Foundation, The Better Angels Society, Bezos Family Foundation, National Endowment for the Humanities, Library of Congress, Dr. Scholl Foundation, Behring Global Educational Foundation, 400 Years of African American History Commission, and the National Park Service. For more information, visit nhd.org.
About Carpenters’ Hall: A National Historic Landmark, Carpenters’ Hall was built in the early 1770s and hosted the First Continental Congress, one of the most significant events in the founding of our nation, in 1774. The Hall is located in Independence National Historical Park, though the building is privately owned and maintained by the nonprofit Carpenters’ Company. Founded in 1724, The Carpenters’ Company is the nation’s oldest continuously operating trade guild. Carpenters’ Hall receives around 120,000 visitors annually, and donations enable site maintenance and free admission. For more information, visit www.carpentershall.org.
About Young People’s Continental Congress: The Young People’s Continental Congress is a unique educational program that allows students and teachers to work in teams as they collaboratively study America’s founding era and its lasting implications today. After completing five virtual learning modules throughout spring 2025 with historians of the Revolutionary Era, the student-teacher teams will travel to Philadelphia in July for an exciting week of on-site learning opportunities across the city. Thanks to the generosity of YPCC’s donors, all student and teacher delegates participate in the program and travel free of charge, making YPCC accessible for every participant. YPCC is generously supported by the Philadelphia City Council through the Philadelphia Cultural Fund, Philadelphia Funder Collaborative for the Semiquincentennial, William Penn Foundation, Albert M. Greenfield Foundation, Independence Foundation, Le Vine Foundation, Kimmel Family Foundation, Philadelphia Foundation, Pennsylvania Society Sons of the Revolution Color Guard, Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau, Visit Philadelphia, AMERICAN HERITAGE® Chocolate, America250 Foundation, Bergman Foundation, Connelly Foundation, Sylvia W. & Randle M. Kauders Foundation, John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, AMTRAK, Founding Forward, WHYY, Amy Branch and Jeff Benoliel, Terry Graboyes, Marguerite Lenfest, John Medveckis, The Honorable Edward G. Rendell, Kathy Sachs and Deborah Webster.
