National History Day 2026 Theme Announced

The splendid performance of Huntington students in the National History Day contest initiative over the years has gained the respect of teachers and contest officials throughout the state.

Huntington students have captured Long Island, New York State and national honors in past years. The initiative draws participation from all 50 states as well as from students in Washington, DC, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico and international schools in South Korea, South Asia and China.

Some Huntington students are in the earliest stages of developing projects for the new school year’s competition. The 2026 contest requires research to be framed within the theme of “Revolution, Reaction, Reform in History.” A 56 page theme book is posted on Huntington UFSD’s website.

“To coincide with the commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, NHD’s 2026 theme is ‘Revolution, Reaction, Reform in History,’” according to the NHD website. “The distinctions among revolutions, reactions, and reforms are sometimes blurred. Revolutions and reforms are often reactions to ideas, actions, or events. In turn, revolutions and reforms inspire reactions. Think of it as a domino effect; knock one down, which knocks the next one down, which knocks . . . The first question that comes to mind is, ‘Do students have to focus on all three words; revolution, reaction, reform?’ No, students do not have to focus on all three aspects of the theme. It depends on the topic. If the topic involves all three, then students should be sure to include all three.”

Huntington High School students developing projects for the 2026 contest will be joined in the initiative by sixth graders participating in the district’s SEARCH program and seventh and eighth graders in J. Taylor Finley Middle School’s Yorker Club.

Students will conduct months of research to create their projects, which will then be submitted in one of five formats: historical research papers, museum exhibits, video or computer generated documentaries, theatrical performances, and websites. Besides individual entries, all categories except papers can be completed by a group of up to five students.

“A turning point in history is more than just an important event that happened a long time ago,” according to NHD. “It is more than a new idea or a particular action taken by an individual. A turning point is an idea, event, or action that directly, or sometimes indirectly, causes change.”

Huntington High School’s National History Day club promotes and sponsors the initiative. The organization is open to all students who are participating in the contest. Lauren Desiderio serves as the club’s faculty advisor and coordinates the NHD program across the district.

Finley’s Yorker Club and its faculty advisor, social studies teacher Jarrad Richter welcomes participation from all seventh and eighth graders. Students that love history will have a thoroughly enjoyable experience as a club member.

SEARCH teacher Jessica Risalvato will also be working with her students as they go about developing their projects. Past sixth grade entries have been nothing short of exceptional.

“Each year, National History Day selects a theme to provide a lens through which students can examine history,” according to the organization. “The annual theme frames the research for students and teachers alike. It is intentionally broad enough to allow students to select topics from any place (local, national, or global) and any period in history. Once students choose their topics, they investigate historical context and significance and develop the topic’s relationship to the theme by researching in libraries, archives, and museums and by visiting historic sites.”

Huntington’s National History Day local competition will be held in late January at the high school. The top finishers in each of the categories will advance to the Long Island regional finals in March at Hofstra University. State History Day will be held in late April. The national finals will be held in June at the University of Maryland, College Park.

For more information about this year’s National History Day initiative, contact the appropriate level advisor:

Huntington High School: Lauren Desiderio at ldesiderio@hufsd.edu

J. Taylor Finley Middle School: Jarrad Richter at jrichter@hufsd.edu

SEARCH sixth graders: Jessica Risalvato at jrisalvato@hufsd.edu