Volunteer to Judge

Volunteer judges provide students with a high-quality educational experience—whether or not they win a prize. Your background, knowledge, and perspective are a valuable contribution of insight and confidence for students to take their next steps in life.

During the National History Day® (NHD) contest process, students in grades 6–12 conduct extensive research on topics related to an annual theme and present their findings as historical papers, exhibits, documentaries, performances, or websites. Judges work on a team of three, one of whom is designated as the captain. NHD relies on consensus judging, which means that instead of giving entries numerical scores, judges rank the entries after discussion within the judging team.

Details

National Contest Judging Dates

The 2025 National Contest will be held in person at the University of Maryland, College Park from June 8-12, 2025.

Judge registration for the 2025 National Contest is now open. Click here to learn more and register.

Questions?

Email us

To judge for a regional NHD contest, connect with your local affiliate.

FInd your local affiliate

National History Day was recently notified that our grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities were cancelled. This means a loss of more than $336,000 over this year and next.

Can you give to help power NHD's important programming for the next two years and beyond? Donate now.

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