On March 21, 2026, at Coe College, junior Katherine (Katie) Hubbs competed in the Regional National History Day Contest, advancing to State.
National History Day (NHD) is a competition in which students from middle and high school create research projects on a historical topic to present to judges in one of five categories: performance, website, paper, documentary, or exhibit. This year, the projects are centered around the theme “Revolution, Reaction, Reform in History.”
The state competition will take place on April 27th at Iowa State University, where Hubbs will be competing. “This is my fourth year. I started in eighth grade and have done it every year since. So far, I’ve made it to the state competition every year, and national competition twice.” Hubbs said.
Hubbs’s topic this year is about the Newsboy Strike of 1899. The strike occurred when New York newsboys wanted prices to return to their pre-Spanish-American War prices. They went on strike against the New York World Newspaper and the New York Journal as a result. The strike lasted two weeks until both parties compromised, with the “winners” being the newsboys.
Hubbs chose to perform her project, keeping it in her consistent category every year.
“I’ve performed every year I have competed. I feel like I can convey a lot more information compared to other categories because I just have a 10-minute time limit, not a word limit,” Hubbs said. “Also, vocal tone, facial expressions, and movement can all add deeper meaning and perspective to a performance, compared to a written paper.”
After choosing a topic, competitors begin to prepare their projects months before the contests.
“I started my research back in December, and began by reading secondary sources about the Newsboy Strike,” Hubbs said. “To prepare for the competition, I created my performance script based on the research I conducted and made props to enhance my performance…my parents also helped me construct the props and costumes used in my performance.”
A week before the competition, Hubbs went to the Kennedy PACT teacher, Jill Koch, for reviews and edits on her performance.
“When Katie comes to me for a review, we go through her script and paper together or as a shared document. I offer suggestions to ensure her project aligns with the judges’ rubric,” Koch said. “The judges are looking for a strong historical argument, clear connections to the theme, a variety of sources and perspectives, and accurate context and significance. As the contest gets closer, she practices her performance and costume changes so she’s ready to shine.”
NHD is divided into three competitions. The Regional Contest is the first level of competition where students are judged against nearby schools. In the second competition, the State Contest, winners from Regionals compete against students across the state. In the final competition, the National Contest, students from all 50 states and US territories compete against one another. The winners have chances to win awards, trophies, or scholarships.
“Any student can complete an NHD project, whether at school or independently. Students should have skills in historical research, critical thinking, and project management, as well as the ability to create an original project. With a variety of categories available, students can choose the type of project that best fits their talents,” Koch said. “Those interested in participating at Kennedy are encouraged to contact Mrs. Koch to explore their options for completing a project next year.”
