NHD projects begin at your school, whether public, private, parochial, charter, or homeschool. From there, your project might be selected to advance to either a regional or affiliate (state, territory, or country) contest.  

At an NHD contest, students present their work to judges, who give all students feedback on their work and select projects to advance to the next level of the competition. Between contest levels, students are encouraged to revise their project based on what they have learned and the judges’ feedback. Students can make any revisions that they want, in accordance with the Contest Rule Book.

The top two entries in each category at the affiliate contests are invited to attend the NHD National Contest. About 3,000 students from across the United States and overseas compete each June at the University of Maryland, College Park. 

National History Day (NHD) programs are open to all students and teachers without regard to race, sex, religion, physical abilities, economic status, or sexual orientation. NHD does not discriminate against, or limit participation by, physically challenged students. NHD staff and affiliate coordinators strive to accommodate students with special needs.

National History Day does not censor National Contest entries based upon content. This means that the views and opinions expressed in student entries are those of the students and/or the sources cited in their projects. They may not represent the views or opinions of National History Day, Inc. or its donors, sponsors, supporters, partners, or affiliates.