History Day exhibition showcases work from 500-plus students

More than 500 students will gather Tuesday at Southeast Missouri State University to present history projects at the 2019 History Day Regional Contest exhibition, like a science fair for history.

As reported by Joshua Hartwig, students from sixth through 12th grades will participate.

“They bring exhibits including websites, documentaries, performances or a historical paper,” said Courtney Kisat, Southeast assistant professor of history. “It’s really grown in the last few years to include digital history components, because we’re encouraging students to work on their 21st-century skills.”

This year’s theme is “Triumph and Tragedy in History.” Students will be evaluated on a rubric provided by the National History Day contest. It will be judged by the university’s history and anthropology faculty.

A public viewing will be held from noon to 1 p.m. Tuesday with the awards to commence at 2:30 p.m. in Academic Hall Auditorium.

We always enjoy projects and events showcasing what our young people are learning. Like the science fair, the history exhibition will bring hundreds of students together to demonstrate what they’ve learned, not just in the classroom, but on their own. It’s particularly useful for students and university professionals to interact and share their knowledge. And we encourage you to swing by the public viewing to check out all the work.

All the best to the students, and kudos for the university faculty and staff who put on this event.