2022 Michigan History Day® State Champions Announced
A total of 139 students received top honors at the virtual State Finals competition of Michigan History Day® on Saturday, April 30, 2022. This year, 325 Michigan elementary, middle and high school students took part in the Michigan History Day State Finals contest, which is an educational program of the Historical Society of Michigan (HSM).
In addition, 61 people volunteered to serve as judges, evaluated the participants’ entries and provided constructive feedback. The finalists in the junior and senior divisions will now move on to the virtual National History Day competition. The winners of the national contest will be announced on June 18.
The state champions for Michigan History Day 2022 include students from Bay City, Beulah, Bloomfield Hills, Bruce, Bruce Township, Calumet, Canton, Clinton Township, Covert, Fraser, Gobles, Holland, Howell, Kalamazoo, Lake Linden, Mattawan, Middleville, Milan, Muskegon, Paw Paw, Plainwell, Plymouth, Portage, Richland, Roseville, Royal Oak, Saginaw, South Haven, St. Joseph, Traverse City, Troy, Twin Lake, Vicksburg, Warren, Watervliet, Westland, Whitehall and Williamsburg.
For the third year in a row, due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, both the state and national competitions were moved to a virtual platform for the safety of all involved. Switching to a virtual contest for the Michigan History Day State Finals presented some unique challenges for both students and judges. Students in the exhibit category included pictures of their exhibits when they uploaded their materials to the registration system. Performance students recorded their performances at school or at home, submitting the video along with their written materials. The judges missed the opportunity to interview and discuss projects with students but were still impressed with the quality of work.
"We were excited to see an increase in the number of students who participated this year," said Michigan History Day state coordinator Amy Bradfield. "The student’s applied the theme, 'Debate and Diplomacy in History: Successes, Failures, Consequences,' to a variety of topics and did a fantastic job of researching and presenting their information."
The virtual State Finals ceremony was broadcast to participants on Michigan History Day’s YouTube channel on April 30. A link to the recording of the ceremony is available on the State Finals page of the HSM website, located at https://www.hsmichigan.org/state-finals. The recorded ceremony can also be viewed from Michigan History Day’s YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AC04dzMmK6A.
Michigan History Day (National History Day in Michigan) offers a fascinating opportunity to move beyond routine learning. Based on an annual theme, students choose to explore and research a local, national or international historical topic. Students then present their work in one of five categories: performances, exhibits, papers, websites and documentaries. Lead sponsors of Michigan History Day 2022 are the Huntington Bank Foundation, The Meijer Foundation, the Americana Foundation and the Rollin M. Gerstacker Foundation.
The Historical Society of Michigan is the state’s oldest cultural organization, founded in 1828. A nongovernmental nonprofit, the Society focuses on publications, conferences, education, awards and recognition programming, and support for local history organizations to preserve and promote Michigan’s rich history.
