Green Country students win big at Oklahoma National History Day contest

Students across Green Country are celebrating big wins after showcasing powerful research projects at the 2025 Oklahoma National History Day (OkNHD) competition in Oklahoma City.

From civil rights to environmental justice, this year’s entries reflected the theme: “Rights and Responsibilities in History.”

Now, several students from the Tulsa area are preparing to represent Oklahoma on the national stage this June.

What is National History Day?

National History Day is a nationwide academic program that empowers students to engage deeply with historical topics through hands-on research and creative presentation.

Once students choose a topic related to the annual theme, they conduct extensive primary and secondary research, analyze and interpret their sources, and draw conclusions about the historical significance. They then present their work in one of five formats: a paper, an exhibit, a performance, a documentary or a website.

Students begin competing at the regional level, where professional educators and historians judge their work. Top performers advance to the state contest. Those who win at the state level become eligible to attend the Kenneth E. Behring National History Day Contest at the University of Maryland at College Park in June.

There, they compete against the best student historians from across the United States, American Samoa, Guam, international schools in Asia, and Department of Defense schools in Europe.

Tulsa-area students among top winners

Students from several Tulsa-area schools earned recognition in a wide range of categories. Highlights include:

Centennial Middle School (Tulsa):

1. Second Place, Junior Individual Website: Nur Altinalan, Child Labor Laws and Their Impact in U.S. History
2. Second Place, Junior Group Website: Avery Hartman & Selena Luong, The Alien and Sedition Acts
3. Third Place, Junior Group Website: Owen Wright & Luke Walden, The Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions

Alice Robertson Junior High (Muskogee):

1. Third Place, Junior Individual Website: Nyah Adair, Red Power Rising
2. Third Place, Senior Group Exhibit: Alivia Arnold & Brooklynn Vaughn, Rosa Parks
3. Third Place, Senior Group Performance: Jayci Clark & Jordyn Meek, The Trenton War

Sadler Arts Academy (Muskogee):

1. Third Place, Junior Group Exhibit: Jacob Hitt & Eli Singleton, Self-Determined

Childers Middle School (Broken Arrow):

1. Second Place, Junior Individual Exhibit: Adriana Parker, Tulsa Race Massacre

These students are now preparing for the national contest, where they’ll present their work alongside top scholars from around the world.

Why this matters

The National History Day program helps students develop key academic and life skills—such as research, critical thinking, writing and public speaking—while deepening their understanding of civic and historical issues. It’s also aligned with Oklahoma academic standards for social studies and other disciplines.

The competition provides a platform for young people to explore topics they care about, tell untold stories, and consider the impact of history on today’s world.

What’s next?

National History Day’s final round takes place in June at the University of Maryland. Leading up to that event, Oklahoma’s qualifying students will continue refining their projects.

To view the full list of 2025 Oklahoma National History Day winners and see some of the student projects, visit the Oklahoma History Center’s website at okhistory.org/historycenter/oknhdwinners.