National History Day – National Contest
National finals for NHD, held June 14–18, 2026 at the University of Maryland, College Park, where 3,000+ students present projects and compete for medals, scholarships, and special prizes.
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National History Day – California (NHD-CA state contest)
NHD-CA is the state-level round of National History Day, where county champions present exhibits, documentaries, websites, performances, or papers on the annual NHD theme; it's one of the largest state history contests in the U.S.
Alameda County History Day
Local county contest for National History Day; students from Alameda County submit projects in February and compete at the county event on March 7, 2026.
David McCullough Essay Prizes
Prestigious essay competition for high school students in Gilder Lehrman Affiliate Schools, honoring narrative or analytical essays on American history.
NHD-CA Historical Paper Contest
Separate category where historical papers skip the county level and are submitted directly to a statewide paper contest; top papers then feed into the larger NHD-CA pathway.
SF Bay Area Urban Green SCA
SCA's Bay Area Urban Green program provides year-round paid opportunities for high school students to work on urban environmental projects, some involving historic sites.
American Legion National Oratorical Contest
A Constitution-focused public-speaking scholarship contest where students deliver prepared and extemporaneous speeches on the U.S. Constitution, advancing from post to state to national, with a $25,000 national top prize.