African American S.C.H.O.L.A.R.S

African American History S.C.H.O.L.A.R.S is an extension of the National History Day (NHD) curriculum. Like NHD, it is an exciting way to study history and learn about issues, ideas, people, & events that interest you. The program lets you express what you have learned through creative and original performances, documentaries, papers, exhibits, and websites.

As in NHD, through African American History S.C.H.O.L.A.R.S you will learn the skills and techniques of the historian and discover new insights. At the African American History S.C.H.O.L.A.R.S History Day, you will have the opportunity to meet other students, exchange ideas, and demonstrate the results of your work.

So how is African American History S.C.H.O.L.A.R.S different than
National History Day?

First, African American History S.C.H.O.L.A.R.S is non-competitive while NHD is highly competitive. In NHD there are a series of competitions: school, district, state, and national competitions with each contest ending with two or three participants in a category advancing to the next level of competition culminating in the national contest. African American History S.C.H.O.L.A.R.S will culminate with a History Day at your school in early February with Gold Medal projects being invited to present for one day at the South Carolina African American Studies Conference at the Marriott in Columbia February 19-20.

Second, NHD has consensus judging with the evaluation process including comparative rubrics and judges comments with the main objective being to choose the best two or three to advance to the next level of competition.  African American History S.C.H.O.L.A.R.S will have a team of two evaluators that will assess each participant on specific educational objectives assigned to numerical values.  Participants receiving 93 or more points out of a possible 100 will be awarded a gold medal, those receiving between 85 and 92 will be awarded a silver medal, and those receiving between 76 and 84 will be awarded a bronze. Those scoring below 75 will only receive a participant’s certificate.
 
Since African American History S.C.H.O.L.A.R.S follows all other aspects of NHD, it is permissible and strongly encouraged that African American History S.C.H.O.L.A.R.S participate in the regional, and hopefully, state and national competitions of National History Day in South Carolina if they so choose.

Sponsors

African American History S.C.H.O.L.A.R.S is sponsored by the South Carolina Department of Education, the South Carolina Archives and History Center, which includes the South Carolina Department of Archives and History and the South Carolina Archives and History Foundation and is supported by the South Carolina Council for African American Studies, the UNESCO Transatlantic Slave Trade Lowcountry and the Atlantic World at the College of Charleston, and the Center for Southern African American Music at the University of South Carolina

African American History S.C.H.O.L.A.R.S is an extension of the National History Day in South Carolina Curriculum, which is supported by the South Carolina Archives and History Center and the South Carolina Humanities Council.