OKLAHOMA CITY — More than 60 students from Oklahoma competed at the National History Day contest in Maryland from June 8-12. The theme for 2025 was “Rights & Responsibilities in History,” with more than half a million students competing worldwide in regional and state competitions.
Again this year, students from Canton Public Schools were in the hunt for top placings at all grade levels.
Hayden Estrada won fifth place in the junior individual exhibit with “The Right to Sit: Clara Luper and the Oklahoma City Sit-in Movement.”
Hayden is a student at Canton Elementary and her teacher is Tiffany Estrada.
Seventh place in the junior group exhibit was earned by Emberly Thompson and Mackenzie Day also from Canton Elementary School. Their teacher is Penny Heath.
Harper Jones won sixth place in the senior individual exhibit competition with her work, “In Defiance of Hitler: Irish Women in the Resistance.” She attends Canton High School and Penny Heath is also her teacher.
The students from Oklahoma who competed in the national competition qualified after winning first or second place in the state competition held at the Oklahoma History Center in May. Students qualified for the state competition after winning at one of seven regional competitions across Oklahoma.
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.
The 2025 Oklahoma National History Day competition was supported in part by a grant from the Bezos Family Foundation. The grant helped cover professional development workshops for teachers and strengthen NHD programs.
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 including T.B. Ferguson, founder of this newspaper, 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.