National History Day in Kentucky Judge

This year, eager young scholars will share their projects on the theme of Revolution, Reaction, Reform in History, chosen to compliment the United States’ upcoming Semiquincentennial, but which students may apply to any topic.

Students will compete either individually or in groups in one of five categories: documentaries, exhibits, papers, performances, or websites.

As a judge, you will:

• Hold brief interviews during which students will have the opportunity to advocate for their work in response to provided questions.
• Reach a consensus ranking with your team to determine which projects in a category will advance to the State Contest.
• Provide constructive feedback in project evaluation sheets.
• Enjoy a light breakfast, lunch, and special judge gift.
• As an educator, administrator, or pre-service teacher, you have the opportunity to receive professional development hours for time spent evaluating projects before, during, and after the contest.

The Contests:

NHDKY will host 6 regional contests around Kentucky, as well as a virtual contest which does not require in-person attendance. Each in-person contest runs from the morning into the early afternoon and will be followed by an optional award ceremony.

Virtual Regional Contest (All Regions Welcome): February 20, 2026

Region 1, Murray State University - Paducah Regional Campus: February 28, 2026

Region 2, Kentucky Wesleyan College: February 27, 2026 (NEW FOR 2026)!

Region 3, University of Louisville: March 14, 2026

Region 4, Eastern Kentucky University: February 21, 2026

Region 5, Morehead State University: March 7, 2026

Region 6, Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College - Cumberland: March 20, 2026

State Contest, Kentucky Historical Society: April 11, 2026

Please contact NHDKY Coordinator Sydney Thaler at kentucky@nhd.org or the KHS Volunteer Coordinator at KHSVolunteer@ky.gov for questions or more information. You can also follow NHDKY on Facebook and Instagram for more updates.