CHICAGO, IL—Two hundred of the Chicago-area's top student-historians ( grades 9-12 ) will present original historical research projects at the 2015 Chicago Metro History Fair Senior Finals on Tuesday, April 14, 9am-noon, at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
The Chicago Metro History Education Center ( CMHEC ) organizes the annual History Fair, which provides students from more than 100 local schools with the opportunity conduct historical research and develop projects to present their research in competition. The best projects can advance to state and national competitions.
History Fair inspires students through the "inquiry method" of education, which allows students to select their own topics. Students are highly motivated to study a topic that is important to them. Students work as individuals or in groups, and they can present their projects as a paper, exhibit, website, documentary, or dramatic performance. The competition element also helps motivate students to work hard to advance as far as they can in the competition.
"These students have spent countless hours researching their topics and preparing their projects for competition," said Frank Valadez, executive director of CMHEC. "The end results are excellent projects that make students—as well as their teachers, parents, and schools—very proud. It is inspiring to see the great work they have done, and to learn about the history of the Chicago area from these young scholars."
Participation in History Fair contributes to high academic achievement in numerous ways. Studies ( www.nhd.org/NHDworks.htm ) show that students who participate in inquiry-based history education programs improve their skills in research, critical thinking, communication, and real-life problem-solving. These skills prepare students for college, careers, and citizenship. More than 90% of students who participate in History Fair report that it is a valuable experience.
Students benefit from participation in History Fair in several ways. They become more interested in history, because they select the topics that they want to study. Motivated by their curiosity, they invest more effort in their projects, and they develop critical thinking and research skills that prepare them for college, careers, and citizenship. As one student said, "History Fair is an opportunity to apply the skills that we as a team value and do not have the chance to necessarily apply to general school assignments. It is also massively fun, very independent, and a truly unique learning experience. I found this experience valuable. We learned a great deal about group work, efficiency, and the advantages of planning well ahead."
Upcoming competitions include:
the Metro Junior History Fair ( grades 6-8 ) on Saturday, April 25, at Lane Technical High School,
the Illinois History Expo ( grades 6-12 ) on Thursday, May 7, in Springfield, and
the National History Day competition ( grades 6-12 ), June 15-18, at the University of Maryland.
The Chicago Metro History Fair, founded in 1977, is an annual academic competition run by the Chicago Metro History Education Center ( CMHEC ). CMHEC is a nonprofit, educational organization whose mission is to spark students' interest in the study of history, help them build high-level thinking skills, engage them in civic life, and foster their intellectual self-confidence.
CMHEC has received long-term support from the Newberry Library, the Chicago Public Library, the Chicago History Museum, the University of Illinois at Chicago, and the Illinois Humanities Council. CMHEC and the 2015 Chicago Metro History Fair have received major support from the Robert R. McCormick Foundation, the Polk Bros. Foundation, and the Terra Foundation for American Art as well as numerous other local foundations and corporations. For more information about CMHEC and History Fair, please visit the website ( chicagohistoryfair.org ) or watch this video ( www.youtube.com/watch ) .
