Illinois State Museum looking for judges, volunteers for 2025 state History Day contest

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WCIA) — History enthusiasts across the state are being asked to give back to the community for a day this spring.

The Illinois State Museum is looking for judges and volunteers for the student Illinois History Day. 

This is a hands-on learning program for students from grades six to 12 where students will partake in research, analysis and discovery. Students will pick a topic of their choice that aligns with the theme of the year and showcase their historical findings. 

Jenn Edginton, the director of the Illinois State Museum, said this program gets the younger generation excited about history.

“National History Day in Illinois is such an important program for middle and high school learners to gain skills and confidence in the history and humanity fields,” Edginton said. “This program aims to inspire the next generation of future historians.”

Judges at the Illinois History Day Competition don’t need to have a history degree, however they must be willing to give constructive and useful feedback to the students. All judges will receive training before the competition and then will be tasked to evaluate students’ projects and decide which one will advance to the next round of the competition. 

Volunteers will assist in welcoming people, guiding contestants and cleaning up after the competition.

Illinois History Day started in 1947 with the first History Day fair taking place in 1963. Last year, more than 600 students participated in the competition showing their research through exhibits, documentaries, websites, papers and live performances. 

Students will compete at regional competitions in Illinois, and the top selected projects move on to the statewide Illinois History Day contest in Springfield. The winners of the state competition will represent Illinois at the National History Day competition in Washington, D.C. in June.

This year’s competition theme is rights and responsibilities in history. Students will research and talk about the rights and responsibilities in their project.

The competition is on May 1 at the Bank of Springfield Center in Springfield. Everyone is encouraged to be a judge or volunteer. 

More information can be found on the Illinois State Museum’s website.