NATIONAL HISTORY DAY ANNOUNCES NEW PROGRAM FOR STUDENTS AND TEACHERS TO STUDY AMERICA’S FOUNDING ERA

PHILADELPHIA, PA – February 15, 2024 – National History Day® (NHD) is proud to announce its role in planning and hosting the first-ever Young People's Continental Congress (YPCC). NHD has collaborated with Carpenters’ Hall, the home of the nation’s First Continental Congress in 1774, to produce a one-of-a-kind program for high school students from around the country, celebrating the 250th anniversary of the First Continental Congress. This upcoming July, 14 teams of two comprised of high school students and teachers from each of the original 13 colonies, plus one team from Philadelphia, will convene to explore our nation’s founding principles in their historical context and how they continue to impact our democracy. The program will expand in 2025 to include students and teachers from all 56 U.S. states and jurisdictions.

This year’s YPCC delegates represent both rural and urban areas and reflect the nation’s diversity in race, gender, and economic status. Students and teachers currently meet virtually through monthly modules where they examine the ideals of the American Revolution through case studies to see how these ideals were applied or evolved over the course of U.S. history. The student/teacher teams will then descend on Philadelphia from July 15-20 for a week of special programming with daily plenary sessions at Carpenters’ Hall and onsite field learning opportunities at sites such as the National Constitution Center, the Museum of the American Revolution, and the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. YPCC is a National Partner Program of America250.

“National History Day is proud to be the lead programming partner of the Young People’s Continental Congress,” said NHD Executive Director Dr. Cathy Gorn. “YPCC is a unique opportunity for students and teachers to explore the history of the principles and ideas that founded this nation in Philadelphia, the place where it happened. This is the perfect program to introduce in NHD’s 50th anniversary year, as we near the 250th anniversary of America’s founding.”

The students and teachers selected from the original 13 colonies and Philadelphia are as follows:

Connecticut

Mrs. Jenn McMunn & Kalyani Tihaiya

Mansfield Middle School / Edwin O. Smith High School

Delaware

Mrs. Tara Creekmore & Josie Calder

Archmere Academy

Georgia

Mr. Zach Barfield and Madelyn Reardanz

Ola Middle School / Ola High School

Maryland

Mrs. Amie Dryer & Chrystellle Cortes

Calvert High School

Massachusetts

Mrs. Janey Goodwin & Saveena Tib

Foxborough High School

New Hampshire

Mr. Josh Beer & Rebecca Robison

Fall Mountain High School

New Jersey

Ms. Tracey Prince & Rouslene Folas

East Orange STEM Academy High School

New York

Ms. Sarah Espinal & Madison Choi

Jericho High School

North Carolina

Mr. Chadwick Stokes & David Buck

E.B. Frink Middle School / North Lenoir High School

Pennsylvania

Mr. Josh Elders & Zac Meyers

Peters Township Middle School / Peters Township High School

Pennsylvania (Philadelphia)

Ms. Liz Taylor & Halimah Fasasi

J.R. Masterman High School

Rhode Island

Mr. Christopher Stanley & Ethan Lemanski

Ponaganset High School

South Carolina

Lieutenant Colonel John Heflin, Mrs. Alice Thaxton, & Deacon Parris

Camden Military Academy

Virginia

Mr. Andrew Abeyounis & Marissa Luebke

Grafton High School

About National History Day: NHD is a non-profit organization based in College Park, Maryland, that seeks to improve the teaching and learning of history. The National History Day Contest was established in 1974 and currently engages more than half a million students every year in conducting original research on historical topics of interest. Students present their research as a documentary, exhibit, paper, performance, or website. Projects compete first at the local and affiliate levels, where the top entries are invited to the National Contest at the University of Maryland at College Park. NHD is sponsored in part by the 400 Years of African American History Commission, The Better Angels Society, the Bezos Family Foundation, The Dr. Scholl Foundation, HISTORY®, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the National Park Service. For more information, visit nhd.org. 

About Carpenters' Hall: A National Historic Landmark, Carpenters' Hall was built in the early 1770s and hosted the First Continental Congress, one of the most significant events in the founding of our nation, in 1774. The Hall is located in Independence National Historical Park, though the building is privately owned and maintained by the nonprofit Carpenters' Company. Founded in 1724, The Carpenters’ Company is the nation's oldest continuously operating trade guild. Carpenters' Hall receives around 120,000 visitors annually, and donations enable site maintenance and free admission. For more information, visit www.carpentershall.org.