WASHINGTON, D.C., USA — Four Pennsylvania students have been honored with the selection of their film, created for the National History Day in Pennsylvania (NHD in PA) program, for inclusion in an online showcase through the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) and the Smithsonian Learning Lab.
The film, Diverse City: Residential Integration in Philadelphia's West Mount Airy was created by Lily Cohen, Margaux Engel, Emmett Gordon, and Isabella Greene, all from Central High School in Philadelphia.
To qualify for the selection, the film had to pass through several levels of competition from the NHD Philly Regional Contest to the NHD in PA State Contest, where the students were selected to represent Pennsylvania as part of the NHD in PA delegation to the National Contest.
The film was selected by NMAAHC staff and will premier today, Wednesday, June 17, as a special collection of the Smithsonian Learning Lab, along with 34 others selected as part of the nationwide NHD competition.
“What these students have achieved is remarkable,” said NHD in PA State Coordinator Jeff Hawks. “Over 6,000 students compete in NHD in PA, and only the top 1% make it to the National Contest. There, they compete against the best of the best from all over the country. To be singled out for this honor from among the hundreds of films submitted to the National Contest is a testament to the students’ hard work, the dedication of their teacher, and the quality of the NHD in PA program.
NHD in PA is the statewide component of an international program designed to improve the quality of history education in schools. Students select a topic related to the annual theme, research and analyze primary and secondary sources, develop a thesis, and create projects to showcase their findings. The program is sponsored by the Army Heritage Center Foundation, the non-profit friends' group for the U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center, as part of the Foundation’s mission to enhance history education.
“This is an incredible honor for these students and their Breaking Barriers in History film to have been selected by the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, a barrier-breaking institution in its own right,” said National History Day Executive Director Dr. Cathy Gorn. “Months and years from now, they will think back fondly on this week when their documentary was viewed and experienced by people around the world visiting the Smithsonian Learning Lab and the documentary showcase.”
The 35 student films will be available to stream online for one week via the Smithsonian Learning Lab at s.si.edu/NHDShowcase2020, from tomorrow, Wednesday, June 17 through next Wednesday, June 24.
The Smithsonian Learning Lab is a free, interactive platform for discovering millions of authentic digital resources from across the Smithsonian’s museums, research centers, libraries, archives, and more.
For more information, and to learn more about how your students can participate in the NHD in PA program, contact Jeff Hawks at the Army Heritage Center Foundation at 717-258-1102 or eddirector@armyheritage.org.
SOURCE: Army Heritage Center Foundation
