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Pennsylvania History Day brings young people to Penn State By Matt Swayne
Maryann Storz (right), who teaches history at Dallas High School, received the Teacher of Merit Award during the Pennsylvania History Day awards assembly. James Welch, a junior and former student of Storz’, nominated her for the award. Photo by Jack Kelley—The Citizens’ Voice, Wilkes-Barre, Pa. “Students showed great creativity and scholarship in choosing to compete in this rigorous contest.” —Melissa Wisehaupt Pennsylvania History Day Coordinator	More than 700 students and teachers participated in Pennsylvania History Day, held at University Park campus. The competition, part of National History Day, provides students in grades six through 12 with an exciting way to study history and learn about issues, people, other cultures and historical events that interest them.   The College of Education hosts the annual event, and Continuing Education’s Conferences and Institutes provides planning and logistical support. In addition, Penn State Press provided books that were awarded as prizes to students, teachers and schools.   The students presented their projects as individuals or in groups. The categories included historical papers, dramatic portrayals, three-dimensional exhibits and documentaries. First- and second-place winners in each category in both the junior and senior divisions are eligible to compete at National History Day. The University of Maryland hosted the national event this year.   Melissa Wisehaupt, Pennsylvania History Day coordinator, explained that this year’s theme, Rights and Responsibilities in History, gave students a chance to research a related topic of their choice from any period in history. The contest puts a strong emphasis on the use of primary source materials, introducing students to many new information “treasures,” such as historical museums and libraries.   “I was very impressed with the variety of topics drawn from this theme,” Wisehaupt said. “Students showed great creativity and scholarship in choosing to compete in this rigorous contest. It is obvious that many Pennsylvania schools are meeting the new standards set forth by our state and federal governments, challenging their students to reach beyond traditional textbook learning. It was gratifying to see that the dedication and hard work that so many teachers put forth in guiding their students through this contest year resulted in such top-quality entries.”   For more information about Pennsylvania History Day and a complete list of winners, visit the Web site at http://www.outreach.psu.edu/C&I/HistoryDay. An outreach program of the College of Education and Penn State Continuing Education’s Conferences and Institutes
To kick off the Pennsylvania History Day awards assembly at Penn State, Vaughn Dailey (standing at the podium), a teacher at Peters Middle School in McMurray, Pa., and a group of junior and senior high school students lead the audience in a cheer. Dailey has organized the annual pep rally for nearly 20 years. Melissa Wisehaupt, Pennsylvania History Day coordinator, addresses Pennsylvania junior and senior high school students, parents and history teachers during the annual history competition held at Penn State. John Ford from the Heinz History Center serves as master of ceremonies for the Pennsylvania History Day awards assembly. Photos by Dave Shelly—Campus Photography