Welcome back!

Hi folks! It's Tobi here. I have to ask: is there anything more wonderful than the start of a new school year? Who doesn't love fresh new office supplies and a clean classroom? Just admit it: You're excited.

And of course, we all know that after the first two weeks the novelty of the new year starts to wear off a little bit. We start to accept that the boy or girl we like-like is not in nearly enough of our classes. And the day-to-day drudgery of learning begins to take its toll. (Is it obvious that I was a bit of a drama queen when I was in middle and high school?)

This, my friends, is the perfect time to challenge yourself by starting a History Day project. You get to choose a topic in history that interests you and learn about it on your terms. And most importantly, you get to come up with a theory on that topic that is new and fresh. You get to MAKE history by DOING history.

OK, stop rolling your eyes at me. I didn't like history in school so much either. But that was before I discovered that history isn't just a long string of names and dates. I learned that history is stories; it is about people just like you and me that made a difference in their world. And this year, with the National History Day theme being Innovation in History, you have a chance to uncover new stories about people whose past events have impacted our present and future.

Come on, admit it: You're curious. But now you're thinking, "But I HATE writing term papers." Guess what? With History Day, you don't have to write a paper (but you can if you like that sort of thing.) You can also create an exhibit, a documentary, a performance, or a web site about your topic.

Sounds interesting, right? Well, don't take my word on it. Watch this video by students who participated in History Day:



Want to learn more? Visit our program website at www.nyshistoryday.org