The annual Florida History Day state contest, sponsored by the Museum of Florida History, brought together young historians from across the state. The event was held in Tallahassee where students showcased their research, creativity, and passion for history while vying for a chance to advance to the national competition this summer. 14 students from St. Lucie County (Oak Hammock K-8, St. Lucie West K-8, Lincoln Park Academy, Southern Oaks Middle School, Southport Middle School, Fort Pierce Central High School, Treasure Coast High School, and Somerset College Preparatory Academy) presented to panels of judges at Tallahassee Community College on May 6th. Their projects focused on this year’s annual theme which is Turning Points in History. Students explored pivotal moments that shaped our world, delving into significant events, ideas, and people who altered the course of history.
This year’s state level competition had 858 student participants with 499 total entries from 32 counties. Southport Middle School’s Madison Tran stood out among this group and placed Third in the Junior Research Paper category with her paper entitled “The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965: How the Act Served as a Significant Turning Point for Immigrants and U.S. History”. Jua Anderson from St. Lucie West K-8 was also recognized with an Outstanding County award for his Junior Individual Documentary on the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project.
Students can start to look ahead to the 2025 contest as the annual theme was announced to be Rights and Responsibilities in History! For more information about the contest, check out the Florida History Day and National History Day websites at https://floridahistoryday.com/ and https://nhd.org/. Specific information about next year’s theme is expected to be made available from National History Day in the late summer/early Fall.
