If you teach in one of the following states, click here to access more information about upcoming programs in:
COLLEGE PARK, MD – September 23, 2026 – National History Day® (NHD) is proud to announce a second year of teacher professional development opportunities, generously funded through the American History and Civics Seminars Program grant for almost $2 million from the U.S. Department of Education.
Educators in Colorado, Ohio, Utah, and Vermont will have the opportunity to bring inquiry-based learning into their classrooms through professional development workshops led by National History Day and its affiliate partners in each state from late 2026 through 2028. The teacher training programs will focus on project-based learning, historical thinking skills, and engaging with local historic resources.
In 2025, the first round of teacher-focused professional development funded by the U.S. Department of Education began in four states: Idaho, Iowa, Virginia, and Wisconsin. Educator cohorts from these states continue to engage with National History Day and its affiliate partners through day-long workshops until 2027 to strengthen connections with NHD programs in these areas. The grant also funds NHD’s webinar series, Revolutionary Ideals: Understanding 250 Years of American Principles, a year-long online professional development opportunity for educators to explore revolutionary ideals and their evolution across U.S. history.
“Through the first round of educator workshops, we saw how impactful year-long support is to implementing historical thinking skills in the classroom, and we are excited to continue this work in four more states across the country,” said National History Day Executive Director, Dr. Cathy Gorn. “Supporting educators in their own professional development directly impacts the quality of history education students receive and provides young people with strong foundational skills that lead to better students and citizens.”
NHD is excited to announce teacher professional development opportunities in the following regions throughout 2026 to 2028:
- Northeastern Colorado with the University of Colorado, Denver
- Introductory Workshop on December 5, 2026, at Valley Middle School
- Southeastern Ohio with The Ohio History Connection
- Introductory Workshop on January 25, 2027, at Newark Earthworks
- Cache Valley, Uintah Basin, Southern Utah, and Wasatch Front, Utah, with the Utah Historical Society
- Introductory Workshop on November 20, 2026, at the Museum of Utah
- Northeast Kingdom of Vermont with the Vermont Historical Society
- Introductory Workshop on February 11, 2027, at Vermont State University
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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 the Joyful Noise Charitable Foundation, The Better Angels Society, Bezos Family Foundation, Library of Congress, Dr. Scholl Foundation, Behring Global Educational Foundation, and the National Park Service. For more information, visit nhd.org.
About CU Denver and National History Day in Colorado
Hosted by the University of Colorado Denver’s Department of History since 2006, the National History Day in Colorado (NHDC) program fulfills the Colorado Department of Education standards in literacy and social studies, helping students meet graduation capstone requirements while also offering high school students the opportunity to earn college credit through CU Succeed, CU Denver’s statewide dual enrollment program. NHDC provides a range of educational opportunities—including research rendezvous events, regional and state contests, an elementary poster contest, educator Institutes, and six published curricula for middle and high school educators—all while connecting students to the state’s premier public urban research university.
At CU Denver, where innovation, research, and learning meet in the heart of a global city, more than 100 top-ranked degree programs and seven schools and colleges empower diverse learners to solve complex challenges and make a real-world impact. Part of the state’s largest university system, CU Denver employs 2,000 people and generates an annual economic impact of $800 million. To learn more about CU Denver and how learners meet their moment, visit ucdenver.edu. To learn more about National History Day in Colorado, visit clas.ucdenver.edu/nhdc.
About the Ohio History Connection
The Ohio History Connection, formerly the Ohio Historical Society, is a statewide history organization with the mission to spark discovery of Ohio’s stories. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization chartered in 1885, the Ohio History Connection carries out history services for Ohio and its citizens focused on preserving and sharing the state’s history. This includes housing the State Historic Preservation Office, the official state archives, the Community Engagement Department, and managing more than 50 sites and museums across Ohio. The Ohio History Connection has been the state affiliate for National History Day since 1995. For more information, go to ohiohistory.org.
About the Utah Historical Society
Founded in 1897, the Utah Historical Society is a division of the Utah Department of Cultural & Community Engagement, dedicated to sharing the history of the state through scholarship, research, library & collections, and public engagement. The Utah Historical Society works to foster curiosity about the past, inform the present, and strengthen our shared future.
As the home of the state’s official National History Day® affiliate, the Utah Historical Society supports NHD programming throughout the state. NHD Utah has operated continuously since 1980. The program was originally developed and housed at Utah State University. In 2014, it was transferred to the Utah Historical Society. NHD Utah receives financial and in-kind support from Utah State University, Weber State University, Salt Lake Community College, BYU, Utah Valley University, Utah Humanities, the Sorenson Legacy Foundation, the Marriner S. Eccles Foundation, Rocky Mountain Power Foundation, and the LDS Church Foundation.
About the Vermont Historical Society:
Established in 1838, the Vermont Historical Society aims to engage Vermonters and Vermonters-at-Heart with outstanding collections, state-wide outreach, and dynamic programming. As a private nonprofit, the Vermont Historical Society builds understanding of Vermont’s past through the Vermont History Museum, annual publications and educational programming, and research support from our collections and library at the Vermont History Center. The Vermont Historical Society has been the state affiliate for National History Day since 1983. To learn more, please visit vermonthistory.org. To learn about Vermont History Day and other educational offerings, please visit vermonthistoryexplorer.org.
MEDIA CONTACTS: mary@nhd.org / DKCNHD@dkcnews.com
