National History Day in Massachusetts Collaboration with the Policy School

About the Collaboration

The Northeastern University School of Public Policy and Urban Affairs is excited to collaborate with the Massachusetts Historical Society on National History Day in Massachusetts, providing resources on public policy and urban issues, for participating students. As a community of doers and dreamers, who think and act locally and globally, the Policy School is committed to the notion that studying the past helps us to make sense of the present and decide what kind of future we want to build for generations to come. The School also recognizes the critical role that history education plays in enabling participatory democracy and producing thoughtful policy.

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The NHD Contest

National History Day (NHD) is similar to a science fair but for history and involves youth across the U.S. It guides students in grades 6–12 through a year of historical research and inquiry, interpretation, and creative expression. Students choose a topic in accordance with an annual theme and conduct extensive primary- and secondary-source research in libraries, archives, and museums. They then present their conclusions and evidence through papers, exhibits, performances, documentaries, or websites, evaluated by professional historians and educators. To showcase their projects, students can compete at local, regional, state, and national contests. Each year, more than 6,000 students participate in NHD from districts across the Commonwealth.

NHD Special Prizes Sponsored by the Policy School

The Policy School is proud to sponsor two annual awards for NHD in Massachusetts:

• The Professor Ted Landsmark “Good Trouble” Award for the Best Project in Civil Rights History references the late civil rights activist and U.S. Rep. John Lewis’s quote to “never, ever be afraid to make some noise and get in good trouble, necessary trouble.” This prize is named in honor of Policy School Prof. Ted Landsmark, a civil rights and community activist, attorney, and advocate featured as the subject of the 1977 Pulitzer Prize-winning photograph “The Soiling of Old Glory.”

• The Outstanding Project in Public Policy, Environmentalism, or Sustainability recognizes exceptional explorations of topics aligned with the Policy School’s commitment to building a just, resilient, and sustainable world and fostering a community of doers and dreamers, who act and think locally and

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Policy School Research Assistance and Support

The Policy School is pleased to offer support and resources to students and teachers in Massachusetts for their National History Day projects. We invite students who are looking into a public policy or urban policy issue for their National History Day project to please contact us so that we can try to connect students with Policy School faculty and/or graduate students who may be able to share their expertise. Selected past winners have also received invitations to come to the Policy School and present their work to an audience of Northeastern faculty, administrators, students, and community members. Students seeking assistance should email Communications Manager Beverly Ballaro at b.ballaro@northeastern.edu

Past Special Prize Recipients

Ted Landsmark “Good Trouble” Award for Outstanding Project in Civil Rights History (MA State Contest)

2025 Recipient: 
Plyler v. Doe: Securing Undocumented Children the Constitutional Right to Education (Junior Group Website) 
Adrianna Balderas, Sara Lay
Ottoson Middle School, Arlington, MA

2024 Recipient: 
The Termination of the Tuskegee Syphilis Study: A Turning Point in Human Research (Senior Group Documentary)
Chloe Crable, Emma Hua, Josephine Calzada
Needham High School, Needham, MA