National History Day

Education is at the center of LancasterHistory’s mission and we are delighted to help students of all ages engage in historical research. LancasterHistory’s historic collections contain more than 2 million primary sources including documents, books, and 3-dimensional objects. The collections contain thousands of secondary sources as well. We also have a professional staff with years of experience in historical research. National History Day is a great opportunity for students to take advantage of all we have to offer!

What Is National History Day?

National History Day logo.

National History Day is an academic competition focusing on history for students in grades 6-12. Students construct entries as an individual or in a group in one of five categories: documentary, exhibit, paper, performance, or website. Students then compete in a series of contests – school, local, and regional/state – to proceed to the national contest.

The mission of National History Day is to provide students with opportunities to learn historical content and develop research, thinking, and communication skills through the study of history and to provide educators with resources and training to enhance classroom teaching.

2026 Theme for National History Day

A circle logo with a kaleidoscope interior and the National History Day theme around the outside.The National History Day (NHD) theme for the 2025-2026 school year is Revolution, Reaction, and Reform in History.

The distinctions among revolutions, reactions, and reforms are sometimes blurred. Revolutions and reforms are often reactions to ideas, actions, or events. In turn, revolutions and reforms inspire reactions. Think of it as a domino effect—knock one down, which knocks the next one down, which knocks the next. . .

A revolution causes reaction; reform causes reaction; reaction can cause reform and revolution. So, back to the first question at the beginning of this article: there may be topics related to revolution; there may be topics related to reform; there may be topics that include both revolution and reform. But any way you look at it, reaction is key to understanding the change. 

Most revolutions and reform movements are too large and complex for an NHD student research project. Rather than attempting to research and analyze an entire revolution or movement (and the related reactions and reforms), look for more manageable topics associated with it. What ideas led to revolution? Who reacted to or was affected by a revolution or movement? Did the revolution result in reform? How? Why or why not?

Please contact the Pennsylvania NHD Program Coordinator, Dr. Sean Brennan at 570.941.4549 or sean.brennan@scranton.edu, for local, regional, and national contest dates, submission deadlines, materials, and any updates or revisions to the NHD Rule Book. You may also view the National History Day in Pennsylvania webpage for more information.

To read more about this year’s theme, we encourage students and teachers to view the 2026 Contest Theme Book on the National History Day website. With the prevalence of Artificial Intelligence (AI), National History Day has created a helpful tip sheet on how students can use AI responsibly with their projects.

For more resources, such as the National History Day Rule Book, theme organizers, or other project resources, please visit the National History Day website.

How To Get Involved

For Students

We’re so excited that you’re interested in becoming involved in National History Day! Before getting started, we encourage students and their parents, guardians, or teachers, to contact the Pennsylvania NHD Program Coordinator, Dr. Sean Brennan at 570.941.4549 or sean.brennan@scranton.edu, for local, regional, and national contest dates, submission deadlines, materials, and any updates or revisions to the NHD Rule Book. You may also view the National History Day in Pennsylvania webpage for more information.

Ready to get started? Visit the NHD website for rules and more information on getting started on your NHD project! There are also plenty of other resources such as a theme graphic organizer, webinars (and webinar recordings), and other guides on how to create a strong NHD project.

For Teachers

National History Day has prepared a wide array of information and educational tools to help you help your students and implement National History Day in your classroom. We encourage you to visit NHD’s website for information on the contest and view teacher resources. (New to NHD? There are resources there for you too!)

How Can LancasterHistory Help with History Day Projects?

LancasterHistory exists to engage and educate the public about the people, places, and events that shaped Lancaster County within the broader context of the history of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the United States of America. We house over 16,000 books, 2 million documents, 95,000 historic photographs, and a large historic artifact and decorative arts collection of three-dimensional objects related the history of Lancaster County and important historical figures such as President James Buchanan and Congressman Thaddeus Stevens, to name a few.

Possible Topics for National History Day 2026

Online Resources & Project Ideas

Students can visit the Research Center’s homepage to get a sense of what LancasterHistory’s collection includes, and how it is organized. They can also search our Collections Databases online to see what materials are available.

Visiting LancasterHistory’s Research Center

Research appointments for students and local educators are always free!

  • In Person: At this time, our Research Center is open Wednesday– Friday from 9:30am-2pm and the first Saturday of each month from 9:30am-2pm. Students are always free. Advance reservations are strongly encouraged. If you wish to visit the Research Center in person, appointments can be made online or by calling 717.392.4633 for a day of your choice. Students under 16 years of age should bring a parent, guardian, or trusted adult with them. Both the student and adult must have tickets to the Research Center to be admitted.
  • Virtual Assistance: Students who are unable to visit our Research Center in person may request assistance remotely by calling 717.392.4633, extension 126 or emailing research@lancasterhistory.org.

Requesting Photocopies & Appointments

If you wish to make an appointment to view historic objects or documents up-close (we allow you to take free pictures of resources) during your appointment on site, please contact research@lancasterhistory.org. If you wish to have a PDF scan of specific primary source documents from our archival collection or a digital image of a historic photograph, please contact research@lancasterhistory.org.

Workshops at LancasterHistory’s Museum and Research Center or Off-Site 

Classes can visit our Research Center for a workshop on primary sources, secondary sources, and historical research on local topics. LancasterHistory’s Education team can also come to your classroom for a similar experience. For more information and rates, get in touch by calling 717.392.4633, ext. 137 or emailing education@lancasterhistory.org.

Not Sure Where To Begin?

We also have human resources that are happy to help point you in the right direction with your research. Please get in touch by calling 717.392.4633, ext. 126 or emailing research@lancasterhistory.org.

Financial Support

For projects on local history, we also offer grants to help participants from Pennsylvania’s Region 9 with the purchase of materials or the cost of entry to regional, state, and national competitions. For more information or to submit a project for award consideration, contact Mabel Rosenheck, Director of Education, at mabel.rosenheck@lancasterhistory.org or 717.392.4633, ext. 137.