Students from West Hartford qualified at Connecticut State History Day and participated in National History Day competition from June 8-12 at the University of Maryland.

Anna Pax Small’s exhibit. Courtesy photo

Submitted

Four students from Conard High School and Sedgwick Middle School recently represented West Hartford Public Schools and the state of Connecticut at the National History Day (NHD) Contest in Washington, D.C.

Participants included:

• Luke Kalke
• Dharini Luthra
• Anna Pax Small
• Kamran Batchelder

These students advanced to the national level after competing successfully at school, regional, and state competitions. Their projects – three documentaries and one exhibit – reflected months of in-depth historical research on this year’s theme, Rights and Responsibilities in History. Each entry was supported by annotated bibliographies containing 30 to more than 60 primary and secondary sources, and refined through multiple rounds of competition.

CT NHS Students meeting CT Senators Murphy and Blumenthal. Courtesy photo

Two students received national recognition:

• Kamran Batchelder was a Finalist (Top 10) in the Junior Individual Documentary category and received the Outstanding Connecticut Entry – Junior Division Award.
• Anna Pax Small received an Honorable Mention in the Junior Individual Exhibit category.

Kamran Batchelder after accepting his award for Outstanding CT Entry. Courtesy photo

Anna Pax Small, Kamran Batchelder, Dharini Luthra. Courtesy photo

Special acknowledgment goes to David Lee, Quest teacher at Sedgwick Middle School and Braeburn Elementary School, who has dedicated countless hours guiding and supporting students in the History Day program at both state and national levels.

Luke Kalke presenting. Courtesy photo

About National History Day

National History Day is a nonprofit education program that engages more than half a million students each year in grades 6-12. Through project-based learning, students conduct original historical research and present their findings in documentaries, exhibits, papers, performances, or websites, all centered around an annual theme.

Dharini Luthra presenting. Courtesy photo

An important note about future funding

In April 2025, a sudden funding cut to the National Endowment for the Humanities eliminated a long-standing source of support for National History Day. Although this year’s National Contest has continued thanks to nationwide support, the future of the program is now uncertain.

To help ensure that students like Kam, Anna, Luke, and Dharini – and thousands of others across the country and world – continue to have access to this educational experience, please consider learning more or donating here.

Kamran Batchelder presenting as a finalist. Courtesy photo

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