DES MOINES, IOWA (April 30, 2026) — Sixty-nine Iowa students earned top honors in the National History Day in Iowa State Contest on April 27, and advanced to compete in the national contest in June.
512 students from sixty-eight schools participated in the state contest held at Iowa State University. In June, the state contest winners will travel to the University of Maryland — College Park where they will compete in the National History Day contest against nearly 3,000 students from the United States and around the world. The program is administered by the State Historical Society of Iowa, a division of the Iowa Department of Administrative Services.
This year’s national qualifiers include students from twenty different schools:
Abraham Lincoln High School
Akron Westfield Middle School
Ames Middle School
Bettendorf High School
Bettendorf Middle School
BR Miller Middle School
Clarinda High School
Decorah Middle School
Gerald W Kirn Middle School
Harding Middle School
Johnston Middle School
Johnston Senior High School
Marshalltown High School
Nodaway Valley Middle School
North Scott Senior High School
Southeast Polk High School
Storm Lake High School
Summit Middle School
Tripoli Middle/Sr High School
Woodbury Central Middle School
Additionally, four history educators were recognized for their outstanding contributions to history education:
Ann Jackson, BR Middle School (Nominee for National Level Teacher of the year Award — Junior Division).
Christina Rice, Storm Lake High School (Nominee for National Level Teacher of the Year Award — Senior Division).
Kristina Dvorak, Harding Middle School (Winner, Junior Teacher of the Year).
Cheryl Smith, Johnston Community Schools (Winner, Senior Teacher of the Year).
Annually, more than a half million middle- and high-school students around the world research, develop and present papers, exhibits, documentaries, websites, and performances about historical topics. The 2026 theme is “Revolution, Reaction, Reform in History.”
The National History Day in Iowa program has been coordinated by the State Historical Society of Iowa since 1994.
The State Historical Society of Iowa has been a trustee of Iowa’s historical legacy since 1857. With a dual mission of preservation and education, it maintains a museum, two research centers, and seven historic sites. The society preserves and provides access to Iowa’s historical resources through a variety of statewide programs, exhibitions, and projects while serving as an advocate for Iowa’s past and connector to the future.
The society is part of the Iowa Department of Administrative Services. Follow the State Historical Society of Iowa on Facebook and Instagram.
