What is National History Day

Watch the 2019 Theme Webinar Here: https://youtu.be/Ads7OpUV_9w

For more student information on creating a project visit  https://www.nhd.org/students

National History Day (NHD) is an interactive way to engage students in history. Students first choose historical topics related to an annual theme. Students then conduct primary and secondary research through libraries, archives, museums, online resources and historic sites. After analyzing and interpreting the information collected, they relate their topic’s significance to the annual theme and become writers, filmmakers, web designers, playwrights and artists to convey their research in a dynamic way. Their experience culminates in a series of presentations at the regional and state levels, and an annual national competition.

Past Scholarship winners

2016 Sangre de Cristo National Heritage Area Scholarships

On February 24, 2016 the Sangre de Cristo National Heritage Area (SdCNHA) awarded scholarships for the regional competition of National History Day (NHD) held on Saturday, January 30, 2016 at Adams State University. The SdCNHA board presented scholarships to five junior high school students for the outstanding performance of projects related to the history of the SLV.

A $250 First Place Prize was awarded to William Lipke for “Kit Carson and the Exploration of the American West” in the Junior Individual Performance Category. In ten minutes, William acted out John C. Frémont, a Hispano settler in the SLV, a Diné survivor of Bosque Redondo, and Kit Carson (including costume changes) presenting different perspectives of historical events.

A $150 Second Place Prize was split 3 ways between Alyssa Darnell, Makenzie Rogers, and Renae Sinclair for “Ghost Rails in the San Luis Valley” in the Junior Group Exhibit Category. The group did a splendid job of relating the region’s old railroads (e.g. The Chili Line) to the theme of “Exploration, Encounter, and Exchange.”

A $100 Third Place Prize was awarded to Kelcey Martin for “Maria Josefa Jaramillo,” a project in the Junior Individual Exhibit Category.

The SdCNHA tells stories of the people, culture, and environment in Colorado’s SLV. The SdCNHA was established on in 2009 for the purposes of providing an “integrated and cooperative approach for the protection, enhancement, and interpretation of the natural, cultural, historic, scenic, and recreational resources of the Heritage Area.”

SdCNHA congratulates each of the 2016 NHD scholarship recipients and wishes the best of luck to the first and second place winners who will advance to the statewide competition in Denver.

2017 Sangre de Cristo National Heritage Area Scholarship

On Saturday January 28, 2017 the Sangre de Cristo National Heritage Area (SdCNHA) awarded a $1,000 scholarship at the District History Fair, part of the National History Day Competition held at Adams State University. SdCNHA presented Eric Lorenz, who attends St. Peter’s Lutheran School, with a $1,000 check from the Heritage Area for the submission of his project in the Junior Paper Division. Eric completed his project on Governor Billy Adams Standing for the San Luis Valley and Colorado. SdCNHA would like to congratulate our 2017 District History Fair scholarship recipient.

The SdCNHA is proud to provide an annual scholarship to students in the District History Fair, part of the National History Day Competition. Eligible student projects must be based on a theme involving local history within the Sangre de Cristo National Heritage Area. Contact our office for more information.

The SdCNHA tells stories of the people, culture, and environment in Colorado’s SLV. The SdCNHA was established on in 2009 for the purposes of providing an “integrated and cooperative approach for the protection, enhancement, and interpretation of the natural, cultural, historic, scenic, and recreational resources of the Heritage Area.”

2018 Sangre de Cristo National Heritage Area Scholarships

The SdCNHA is proud to provide an annual scholarship to students who participate in the District History Fair, part of the National History Day Competition. Eligible student projects must be based on a theme involving local history, culture, or traditions within the Sangre de Cristo National Heritage Area. The SdCNHA is proud to award $4,000 in scholarships this year to 10 local middle and high school students. The event was hosted by the Adams State University Department of History, Anthropology, Philosophy, Political Science, and Spanish (HAPPSS). This year’s theme is Conflict and Compromise in History.

“This year’s round of annual district History Day submissions demonstrated the broad array of historical topics that arise from the study of the San Luis Valley’s rich heritage. Participants rose to the occasion with a presentation of several well-researched and thoughtful projects. The Sangre de Cristo National Heritage Area Board of Directors was proud to support this event as an investment in developing the next generation of our region’s heritage stewards,” said Nick Saenz, board President.

William Lipke from St. Peter’s Lutheran School, received $1,000 for his outstanding presentation of Chief Ouray: A Life of Conflict and Compromise. “I chose Chief Ouray to be my topic because he intrigued me. Instead of fighting, Ouray worked for peace even though he was a war chief and fierce fighter in his tribe. He only wanted to help his people save their land.” William wrote a script that showed the conflict and compromise Ouray experienced and presented his play in full costume. His play gave life and history of the Ute tribes, peace treaties, manifest destiny, gold in the San Juans, and the Meeker Massacre. He conducted his research by going to the Alamosa Public Library, reading books, looking at reliable websites and even spoke with a relative of Chief Ouray, Dr. Tiller. “My project relates to the theme because Ouray had many conflicts within his tribe and with the U.S. Government. However, he fought to find the best compromise to every situation. He is an example for all of us and for our country today.” Lipke will go on to present at the state competition in Denver.

Eric Lorenz, from Del Norte High School, wrote a paper on The Conflict and the Compromises of the Rio Grande River Compact and was awarded $600. “The Rio Grande River Compact was established in 1938 to make sure that Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas were sharing the Rio Grande’s water fairly. For many years there had been much conflict about who should use the water and also how it should be used. It was made to make sure that one state was not taking more water than it was supposed to.” Water from the Rio Grande is important to sustaining all of these areas because of the arid climates. His paper highlights the continuing dispute between these states over water from 1966-1968 and the current case of “The State of Texas v. the State of New Mexico and the State of Colorado” that has yet to be ruled on by the Supreme Court.”(It should be noted that Colorado is not being sued in this case but their name appears in the title because Colorado is upstream from New Mexico.)

Jazmine Palacios, Luz Garcia, Andrea Rodriquez and Jaqueline Palacios from Alamosa high school, each received $400 for their captivating presentation on Chicano Rights: Conflict and Compromise in the San Luis Valley. They covered information on Latino heritage, Spanish settlements in the SLV, discrimination of speaking Spanish, SPMDTU, activism protests, how discrimination in schools is decreasing for the next generations. This project will also go on to present at the state competition in Denver. The students addressed past oppressions to Hispanos and connected them to current issues. They also touched on the various ways in which the Hispano community has addressed these issues over the years. The girls spoke about the Chicano movement, the SPMDTU, ASU’s C.A.S.A., and ASU’s CAMP program.

Anthony Garcia, Angel Rubio-Mix and Cloe White from Sangre de Cristo school district, each received $250 for their wonderful visual exhibit of Billy Adams and the Compromise that Saved ASU. The conflict in this project is the Ku Klux Klan wanted to stop the bill that William Herbert Adams was trying to pass to get funds to build Adams State College. Billy Adams was able to get them to agree to back off and pass this bill and ASC was built in 1921.

Monte Huffaker from Centauri Middle School was also awarded $150 for his exhibit on Cattle in Colorado. Monte’s exhibit illustrated how cattle came to Colorado and the struggle to raise cattle. Monte touches on diseases ranchers had to contend with, as well as the sheep and cattle wars.

Tori Martinez, Executive Director of the Sangre de Cristo National Heritage Area, stated “We are so proud of all the students who chose to focus their projects on local history. Their work encourages others to do the same for next year’s history fair. They did a great job of educating locals on the importance of learning about their own culture, and the history of where they live.”

2020 Sangre de Cristo National Heritage Area Scholarships

The Sangre de Cristo National Heritage Area (SdCNHA) presented eleven San Luis Valley students with $4,000 worth of History Fair Scholarships. SdCNHA provides annual scholarships to students who participate and compete in the District History Fair, with projects based on a theme involving local history, culture, or traditions. Funding for youth scholarships comes

The Regional History Fair took place at Adams State University and was hosted by the ASU Department of History, Anthropology, Philosophy, Political Science and Spanish (HAPPSS). The District History Fair is part one of the National History Day competition that takes place nationwide. Students participate in a project-based learning curriculum that emphasizes critical reading and thinking, research, analysis, and the drawing of meaningful conclusions. Students can complete these projects in groups or as individuals in one of five categories: documentary, paper, exhibit, performance, or website.

This year’s round of annual district History Day submissions demonstrated the broad array of historical topics rooted in history from the San Luis Valley. Three performances, two documentaries, one exhibit, one paper, and one website qualified for a heritage scholarship.

Zach Romero, Jenna Fairchild, Ryder Whitehorn, Analise Gallegos, Mason Sowards and Troy Sowards, Arrow Myers, Amaya Garcia, Todd Adams, Iyanna Myers, Melody Lipke are the student SdCNHA scholarship winners for 2019. Of the eight total projects, five will be moving on to the State competition in Denver.

Zach Romero, Jenna Fairchild, and Ryder Whiteborn offered a captivating performance called “Boomtown Girl” about the history of Creede. They utilized a creative storyline that incorporated poerty and time travel to share history about mining, tourism and the Utes. Their project is moving on to the state competition.

Analise Gallegos created a documentary on the Catholic Penitente Brotherhood. Her documentary covered historic places, rituals, songs, and purpose of the brotherhood in the San Luis Valley. It included excellent historic photos.

Mason Sowards and Troy Sowards had passionate presentation on local boxing champion Jack Dempsey. They featured a creative narration that included costume changes, information on the SLV, sports stats and information about the Great Depression. Their project is moving on to the state competition.

Arrow Myers project focused on Zebulon Pike in a documentary. Arrow’s documentary covered the start of Pike’s journey, the path is traveled on, his encounter with Native Americans in the region, and the differing stories regarding that encounter. His Project moves on to the state competition.

Amaya Garcia was the only student who created a traditional individual exhibit and clean presentation on Chipeta, who is considered to be “The Queen of the Utes” and wife of Chief Ouray. She highlighted Chipeta’s accomplishments and connected her own heritage and ancestry.

Todd Adams created a beautiful and informative website about the history of the town of Creede. Iyanna Myers, also chose the topic of Chipeta, however she presented her information in the form of a documentary. Her project is also moving on to the state competition.

Melody Lipke, wrote a paper on “The Baca Ranch: Tragic Exploitation and Triumphant Preservation.” Her paper included the origins of the Baca Ranch, ranching history mining history, lawsuits and disputes with developers. Melody’s project is moving on to the state competition.

2021 Sangre de Cristo National Heritage Area Scholarships

The SdCNHA is proud to provide an annual scholarship to students who participate in the District History Fair, part of the National History Day Competition. Eligible student projects must be based on a theme involving local history, culture, or traditions within the Sangre de Cristo National Heritage Area.

The Sangre de Cristo National Heritage Area (SdCNHA) presented two students with History Fair Scholarships. SdCNHA provides annual scholarships to students who participate and compete in the Regional History Fair, with projects based on this year’s theme “Communication in History” that involve local history, culture, or traditions. The Regional History Fair took place virtually on Saturday, January 30, 2021 and was hosted by the Adams State University (ASU) Department of History, Anthropology, Philosophy, Political Science, and Spanish (HAPPSS). The Regional History Fair is part one of the National History Day
competition that takes place nationwide. Students participate in a project-based learning curriculum that emphasizes critical reading and thinking, research, analysis, and the drawing of meaningful conclusions. Students can complete these projects in groups or as individuals in one of five categories: documentary, paper, exhibit, performance, or website.

This years round of annual Regional History Day submissions demonstrated the broad array of historical topics but only one pertaining to the San Luis Valley. Winners will proceed to National History day, sponsored by the University of Colorado, Denver, on May 1, 2021. Troy Sowards and Carson Bagwell created a junior group website about how communication through mail rapidly

The Sangre de Cristo National Heritage Area congratulates all SLV students who participated in this year’s competition and is excited to see what heritage area youth come up with next year. For more information on National History Day visit https://www.nhd.org/

2022 Sangre de Cristo National Heritage Area Scholarships

Photo: William Lipke

The Sangre de Cristo National Heritage Area (SdCNHA) presented one student with a History Fair Scholarship. SdCNHA provides annual scholarships to students who participate and compete in the Regional History Fair, with projects based on this year’s theme “Debate and Diplomacy: Successes, Failures, and Consequences.” that involve local history, culture, or traditions.

The Regional History Fair took place on Saturday, January 29, 2022 and was hosted by the Adams State University (ASU) Department of History, Anthropology, Philosophy, Political Science, and Spanish (HAPPSS). The Regional History Fair is part one of the National History Day competition that takes place nationwide. Students participate in a project-based learning curriculum that emphasizes critical reading and thinking, research, analysis, and the drawing of meaningful conclusions. Students can complete these projects in groups or as individuals in one of five categories: documentary, paper, exhibit, performance, or website.

William Lipke performed a skit about Colorado or New Mexico: Debate and Diplomacy in State Borders. He first learned about how Colorado became a state from the book Pleas and Petitions by Virginia Sanchez. He wanted to learn more and began researching. The theme “Debate and Diplomacy: Successes, Failures, and Consequences.” fit this topic well. The diplomacy began between the United States and Mexico and then moved on to diplomatic relations between Colorado and New Mexico territories. There were a few successes that stemmed from the United States’ response to this diplomacy such as some land grants being honored and the developing working relationship between different races in the San Luis Valley. However, many failures resulted from the United States’ and Colorado territory response to these diplomatic measures. The people in this “notch” were denied much of their land, they were not granted their request to be made part of New Mexico, and therefore, the consequences of this action resulted in the people in the San Luis Valley facing discrimination. Some positive consequences brought about by “the notch” being part of Colorado is that the San Luis Valley adds a unique perspective, rich culture, talented people, and the oldest history to the state..

2023 Sangre de Cristo National Heritage Area Scholarships

Photo left to right: Leah Smith, Laila Martinez, Durae Naranjo and Avery Hostetter. Not pictured: Parker Mitchell Jeana Dunn, and Alaysha Silva

The Sangre de Cristo National Heritage Area (SdCNHA) presented seven students with $4,800 worth of History Fair Scholarships. SdCNHA provides annual scholarships to students who participate and compete in the Regional History Fair, with projects based on this year’s theme “Frontiers in History: People, Places, Ideas.” that involve local history, culture, or traditions.

The Regional History Fair took place at Adams State University and was hosted by the Adams State University (ASU) Department of History, Anthropology, Philosophy, Political Science, and Spanish (HAPPSS). The Regional History Fair is part one of the National History Day competition that takes place nationwide. Students participate in a project-based learning curriculum that emphasizes critical reading and thinking, research, analysis, and the drawing of meaningful conclusions. Students can complete these projects in groups or as individuals in one of five categories: documentary, paper, exhibit, performance, or website.

This year’s round of annual Regional History Day submissions demonstrated the broad array of historical topics rooted in history from the San Luis Valley, two documentaries, one exhibit, one website, and three papers qualified for our SdCNHA scholarship.

Laila Martinez, Leah Smith, Avery Hostetter, Durae Naranjo, Parker Mitchell, Jeana Dunn, and Alaysha Silva are the students who received a SdCNHA scholarship for 2023.

Laila Martinez created a documentary titled; “Mission Churches in Conejos County, Frontiers in History” Laila shared significant information about each of the historic mission churches in Conejos County.

Parker Mitchell also created a documentary titled; “San Luis Valley: A Farming Frontier” Parker shared important information about how people worked together to make farming successful in the San Luis Valley.

Leah Smith wrote a paper titled, “Frontiers of the San Luis Valley: The Valley and its Diversity”. In the paper she writes about how the many diverse cultures shaped the San Luis Valley and how the San Luis Valley allowed new opportunities for people who were coming in.

Alaysha Silva also wrote a paper titled, “ Frontier in Racism and How it Changed Daily Lives Forever”. Alaysha wrote about the impact of racism in the United States, but then mentioned about how it impacted areas like the San Luis Valley.

Avery Hostetter wrote a paper titled, “The San Luis Valley: Land United by Frontiers”. In her paper she shared about how the San Luis Valley was home to many frontiers that would happen throughout history and supplied the resources that were needed for the many frontiers that took place.

Jeana Dunn created a website, called “Settlement of Manassa” in her website she shared about the different ethnicities and their ties to Manassa while sharing information on the history.

Durae Naranjo created a traditional exhibit called, “Maestas V. Shone” She shares the story of the nation’s earlies victory in the war against Hispanic educational segregation that took place in Alamosa, CO.

The Sangre de Cristo National Heritage Area congratulates all students who participated in this year’s competition and is excited to see what heritage area youth come up with next year. For more information on National History Day, visit www.nhd.org . For more information on SdCNHA scholarships and fieldtrip grants, visit www.sangreheritage.org.