Grapevine-Colleyville Independent School District -

17 students in grades six through 12 at iUniversity Prep are educating themselves and others about historical events and people to compete alongside 35,000 students across the state at the National History Day competition. The event will be held on Saturday, April 23 at the University of Texas campus in Austin.

The competition is something these students have been working on all year. Marti Willis, an iU Prep seventh grader, has worked on a project called Annie Oakley: Gunpowder and Legacy for her competition submission.

“I think this competition is an amazing way to teach young minds important skills such as how to research topics, cite sources, and put together quality projects,” Willis said. “I also think it's really important to have opportunities to compete academically.”

Students may work in teams or individually on their prompts and projects. From videos and papers to models and performances, students are able to share their findings in a variety of ways. To do this, students conduct extensive primary and secondary research that is far beyond an internet search.

“I’ve learned lots of things throughout the process of the competition,” said eighth grader Hayden Rockaway. “However, the process of creating a research paper is the most important skill I’ve gained. Knowing how to form a historical argument, annotate a bibliography, and present my research in a way that’s easy to understand are things that I can continue to utilize.”

Once students have completed their projects they present them to peers and teachers before moving on to regional, state or even national competitions.

Eighth-grader Sarah Alhaddad commented, “I think the competition is a good way to give students some freedom to learn and create a project about a part of history that they are interested in while also having a competitive factor to keep the students motivated.”

Good luck to the iUniversity Prep students who are competing at state:
Sallie Alhaddad - Power of The Paper: The Document That Officially Prompted The Beginning of Women's Suffrage
Sarah Alhaddad - Power of The Paper: The Document That Officially Prompted The Beginning of Women's Suffrage
Xophia Gonzalez - Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) The Women with Wings Breaking Boundaries
Anika Goswami - Power of The Paper: The Document That Officially Prompted The Beginning of Women's Suffrage
Josslyn Jones - The Trial of Susan B. Anthony
Katelyn Luong - Ralph Nader: A Pioneer In Safety
Rebecca Moore - Ralph Nader: A Pioneer In Safety
Alexa Nelan - Elizabeth Blackwell: America's First Female Doctor
Wimberleigh Parker - Alexandra Kollontai: a Women's Advocate
Ethan Pena - Black and White to Loud and Bright: Evolutions in Film
Hayden Rockaway - A Pioneer In Finance: How Muriel Siebert Laid The Foundation For Women in Wall Street
Avika Taneja - Power of The Paper: The Document That Officially Prompted The Beginning of Women's Suffrage
Kaiya Walls - Ralph Nader: A Pioneer in Safety
Marti Willis - Annie Oakley: Gunpowder and Legacy
Hannah Zabiepour - The American Revolution: a Frontier in the Enlightenment
iUp Student - The New Noah: Andrew J Higgins and How His Boats Won World War I