Frequently Asked Questions
How will the 2021 Connecticut History Day Contests be conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic?
At this point, we’re not sure if they will be virtual or in-person. The decision about the contest format will be made later in the Fall of 2020.
Do students who create a Website or write a Paper have to attend the contests?
Yes, they do. Although Papers and Websites are due 2 weeks before the contests, students are still required to attend the contests and meet the judges.
How many Regions does Connecticut have?
Connecticut has six regions: Fairfield, Hartford, Mansfield/Storrs, New Haven, Norwich, and Torrington. Regional contests are held on Saturdays throughout March. Specific towns are assigned to one of the six Regional Contests. Please check out the Regional Contest page to figure out the contest you attend. If you have a genuine schedule conflict, accommodations can sometimes be made. Please contact the State Coordinator to discuss.
What should student do if one of the group members can't make the competition?
Every effort should be made to attend the Regional and State Contests. History Day staff will work with you to accommodate specific schedule needs. However, if one of your group members is unable to attend a contest, your group is still eligible to participate. Please contact the State Coordinator to let her know the name of the student who is unable to attend the contest and the reason why.
How much help can students get from their parents?
All aspects of projects must be created by the students associated with it. However, in circumstances where power tools or other dangerous materials need to be used, parental assistance is absolutely fine. Do keep in mind that for the Performance category parents may help carry staging items into the room, but the student needs to set up any props. Parents are great sounding boards for projects, so definitely discuss your project at the dinner table!
Is it okay for students to make changes to their project in-between the Regional and State Contests?
Absolutely! We encourage students to use the constructive feedback that they receive at the Regional Contest to improve their project before the State Contest.
Can students choose a current event as a topic?
History Day projects need to be able to show historical context. There is no hard and fast rule about how old a topic needs to be, but make sure it is old enough that you can show the impact of your topic on today's world.
Are captions under photographs/images included in the student written word limit requirement?
Captions do not count towards the word limit if they are used simply for identification. They do count if they are interpretive. Examples -- Identification: Photo of the collapsed mine. Interpretive: Photo of the collapsed mine that clearly shows the negligence of the mining company. Names, titles, etc. all count toward the word limit. Any student composed words count except for those listed in Rule E2 on page 21 of the Rule Book.
Why was my project evaluated differently at the Regional and State Contest?
All judges receive the exact same type of training using a judging rubric from the State Coordinator or the History Day Assistant. Keep in mind that your project is being reviewed by an entirely different set of people at each contest. Also, the judging at the State Contest is more critical since judges are reviewing top finishers from the Regional Contest.
Do you have a question we haven't answered? Please send your question to the State Coordinator at info@historydayct.org
At this point, we’re not sure if they will be virtual or in-person. The decision about the contest format will be made later in the Fall of 2020.
Do students who create a Website or write a Paper have to attend the contests?
Yes, they do. Although Papers and Websites are due 2 weeks before the contests, students are still required to attend the contests and meet the judges.
How many Regions does Connecticut have?
Connecticut has six regions: Fairfield, Hartford, Mansfield/Storrs, New Haven, Norwich, and Torrington. Regional contests are held on Saturdays throughout March. Specific towns are assigned to one of the six Regional Contests. Please check out the Regional Contest page to figure out the contest you attend. If you have a genuine schedule conflict, accommodations can sometimes be made. Please contact the State Coordinator to discuss.
What should student do if one of the group members can't make the competition?
Every effort should be made to attend the Regional and State Contests. History Day staff will work with you to accommodate specific schedule needs. However, if one of your group members is unable to attend a contest, your group is still eligible to participate. Please contact the State Coordinator to let her know the name of the student who is unable to attend the contest and the reason why.
How much help can students get from their parents?
All aspects of projects must be created by the students associated with it. However, in circumstances where power tools or other dangerous materials need to be used, parental assistance is absolutely fine. Do keep in mind that for the Performance category parents may help carry staging items into the room, but the student needs to set up any props. Parents are great sounding boards for projects, so definitely discuss your project at the dinner table!
Is it okay for students to make changes to their project in-between the Regional and State Contests?
Absolutely! We encourage students to use the constructive feedback that they receive at the Regional Contest to improve their project before the State Contest.
Can students choose a current event as a topic?
History Day projects need to be able to show historical context. There is no hard and fast rule about how old a topic needs to be, but make sure it is old enough that you can show the impact of your topic on today's world.
Are captions under photographs/images included in the student written word limit requirement?
Captions do not count towards the word limit if they are used simply for identification. They do count if they are interpretive. Examples -- Identification: Photo of the collapsed mine. Interpretive: Photo of the collapsed mine that clearly shows the negligence of the mining company. Names, titles, etc. all count toward the word limit. Any student composed words count except for those listed in Rule E2 on page 21 of the Rule Book.
Why was my project evaluated differently at the Regional and State Contest?
All judges receive the exact same type of training using a judging rubric from the State Coordinator or the History Day Assistant. Keep in mind that your project is being reviewed by an entirely different set of people at each contest. Also, the judging at the State Contest is more critical since judges are reviewing top finishers from the Regional Contest.
Do you have a question we haven't answered? Please send your question to the State Coordinator at info@historydayct.org