OKLAHOMA CITY — Dozens of Oklahoma students—including more than a dozen from Canton -- won first, second or third place in the Oklahoma National History Day (OkNHD) competition at the Oklahoma History Center. Students in 6th 8th grades competed on May 7. Students in 9th-12th grades competed on May 8.
Students qualified for the state competition after winning at one of seven regional competitions across Oklahoma. Some of the winners move on to the national competition in June. The theme for 2025 was “Rights & Responsibilities in History.”
National History Day is a highly regarded academic program that is student-driven and allows students to learn about civic engagement while analyzing primary sources. The cross-curricular program meets Oklahoma standards for social studies and other subjects.
OkNHD is projectbased learning that focuses on historical topics related to a theme. Students conduct extensive primary and secondary research through libraries, archives, museums and historic sites. After analyzing and interpreting their sources, students draw conclusions about their topic’s significance in history before presenting their work in original papers, exhibits, performances, websites and documentaries. Student projects are entered into competitions in the spring at regional, state and national contests, where professional historians, educators and community leaders evaluate them.
Junior Division Group Exhibit First Place Saint Kate: Fighting for the Rights of Oklahoma’s Children Emberly Thompson Mackenzie Day Canton Elementary School, Canton Teacher: Penny Heath Junior Division Group Performance Third Place The Edelweiss Pirates: We Did What We Could to Resist Layken Bearman Elizabeth Edwards Hazel Davis Canton Elementary School, Canton Teachers: Alicia Sanderson, Tiffany Estrada Second Place 37 Words for the Win Kynzlee Hulse Marley Lorenz
Canton Elementary School, Canton Teacher: Penny Heath
Junior Division Group
Website First Place When Basketball Was More Than a Game: Integrating the NBA Kaghan Stephens Tristen Mosqueda Canton Elementary School, Canton Teacher: Penny Heath Junior Individual Performance Second Place Hisashi Ouchi: The Cost of a Life Liam Ross
Canton Elementary School, Canton Teachers: Penny Heath, Tiffany Estrada Senior Division Group Exhibit Second Place Catherine McAuley: Path of Mercy Allisyn Smith Camden Lee Canton High School, Canton Teacher: Penny Heath First Place Peace Corps: The Toughest Job You’ll Ever Love Hannah Hoffman Sisaly Hepner Canton High School, Canton Teacher: Penny Heath Senior Group Website First Place The Veiled Paper Trail: The Pentagon Papers’ Impact on the Vietnam War Preston Foster David Evans
Canton High School, Canton Teacher: Penny Heath Also winner of the Todd Family Oral History Award Senior Individual Exhibit First Place In Defiance of Hitler: Irish Women in the Resistance Harper Jones
Canton High School, Canton Teacher: Penny Heath Canton Elementary also won the Sweepstakes Award The Oklahoma History Center is a division of the Oklahoma Historical Society and is an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, National Archives and is an accredited member of the American Alliance of Museums. The mission of the Oklahoma Historical Society is to collect, preserve and share the history and culture of the state of Oklahoma and its people. Founded in 1893 by members of the Territorial Press Association, the OHS maintains museums, historic sites and affiliates across the state. Through its research archives, exhibits, educational programs and publications, the OHS chronicles the rich history of Oklahoma. For more information about the OHS, please visit okhistory.org