09-03-2025
History comes to life at Norwich Free Academy for Connecticut History Day Regional Contest
It wouldn't have been unusual to see a Civil War general walking around Norwich Free Academy on Saturday.
The Connecticut Democracy Center held the Connecticut History Day Norwich Regional Contest. Students from multiple schools researched and presented on topics in history related to the contest theme of Rights and Responsibilities in History. The projects were judged on quality of research, perspectives, presentation, and relation to the theme, among other points.
There are a total of five regional contests. The top three projects from each of those advance to the state level competition in May, and those winners advance to the National History Day competition in June, Executive Director of the Connecticut Democracy Center at the Old State House Sally Whipple said.
'We're looking to see how well kids are using their critical thinking skills and how well they are expressing themselves, so it's a lot of things to judge on,' she said.
Student projects could be papers, exhibits, documentaries, performances or websites. Most projects were based on topics in American History, from an exhibit on the Hubble Space Telescope to an Amistad Documentary. A few foreign history topics were presented, from a documentary on Pol Pot and the Cambodian Genocide, to a paper on The Right to Education in South Africa During Apartheid.
While the history day contest encourages a love of history, it also gives the students the agency to pick their own topic, encourages them to share their voice, and teaches them information literacy skills, Whipple said.
NFA has hosted a regional competition for five years. It's the perfect venue because of the school's own rich history, and the school encourages its students to compete. Students will spend hours and hours to edit their projects and make sure everything is right, NFA Head of History and Social Studies Karen Cook said.
'This is the day it's all worth it to them,' she said.
Fifty judges participated in the Norwich event, ranging from educators and museum staff, to retirees to friends of the organizers, Lisa June, Norwich Regional coordinator for Connecticut History Day, said.
'They come from all walks of life,' she said.
The judges are tasked with both scoring and providing helpful feedback, Whipple said.
While it's a competition, having students take an active interest in history is the most important part, Social Studies Consultant Stephen Armstrong of the Connecticut State Department of Education said.
'These are kids putting themselves in history,' he said. 'They did the research and act as historians.'
Participating schools included NFA, East Lyme High School, Lyme-Old Lyme Middle School, The Mohegan Tribe Department of Education, and the Interdistrict School for Arts and Community of New London. There were 90 projects in total.
NFA Junior Cobain Jones and Senior Harold Trafford performed 'Burning Bridges: McClellan and Burnside at Antietam' Their performance was a fictionalized dialogue in September 1862 between then Union General George McCellan and later Union General Ambrose Burnside. Both students were dressed in era-appropriate clothes, and Jones had a large costume moustache for his portrayal of McCellan.
The dialogue, is based on correspondence between the men and others. In the dialogue, Burnside criticized McClellan's tactics and his hands-off stance on liberating Confederate slaves.
Jones' interest in the Civil War came from visiting Gettysburg last year and learning that he is related to another Civil War General, George Meade.
'I've been (at NFA) for three years, and I haven't done a History Day project once, so I though why not,' he said.
Jones asked Trafford to help, because Trafford has an interest in 18th and 19th century history. The students felt their performance went well.
Interdistrict Eighth Grade Students Jay'Den Russell and Olivia Campbell made an exhibit about The Pequot War. Fellow Eighth Grade students Emireth Fiat and Akaiya Allen made an exhibit about The Life of Venture Smith.
People should still learn about The Pequot War because the Pequot peoples had their rights violated, 'and it's just not fair for them,' Russell said.
As for Venture Smith, he was the son of an Africa prince. Smith was kidnapped and sold into slavery in Connecticut. He eventually bought his freedom and became a successful businessman, Fiat said.
'(History Day) is a good opportunity to pick a topic you want to learn about,' Allen said.
This article originally appeared on The Bulletin: Norwich Free Academy hosts Connecticut History Day Regional Contest
