May 14, 2025
DES MOINES –
Seventy-three Iowa students earned top honors in the National History Day in Iowa Contest on April 28, and advanced to compete in the national contest in June.
The seventy-three students emerged from a total of 1,887 total participants from regional contests and the culminating state contest held at Iowa State University. In June, the state contest winners will travel to the University of Maryland – College Park where they will compete in the National History Day contest against nearly 3,000 students from the United States and around the world. The program is administered by the State Historical Society of Iowa, a division of the Iowa Department of Administrative Services.
This year’s national qualifiers include students from twenty-four different schools:
Abraham Lincoln High School
Akron Westfield Middle School
Ames Middle School
Bettendorf Middle School
B R Miller Middle School
Carroll High School
City View Community School
Decorah Middle School
Franklin Middle School
Harding Middle School
Harlan Community Middle School
Johnston Senior High School
John F. Kennedy High School
Marshalltown High School
Nashua-Plainfield Junior-Senior High
Nevada Middle School
North Scott Senior High School
Southeast Polk Junior High School
St. Benedict School
Taft Middle School
Timberline School
Unity Christian High School
Wayne Community Junior-Senior High School
Williamsburg Junior-Senior High School
Additionally, six history educators were recognized for their outstanding contributions to history education:
Deb Temperly, Bettendorf Middle School (Nominee for National Level Teacher of the year Award - Junior Division).
Susan Fritzell, Marshalltown High School (Nominee for National Level Teacher of the Year Award - Senior Division).
Patty Lien, St. Benedict School (Winner, Junior Teacher of the Year).
Cassidy Peppmeier, West Bend-Mallard Middle School (Certificate of Merit, Junior Teacher of the Year).
Danielle Peterson, Mediapolis High School (Winner, Senior Teacher of the Year).
Joe Roberts, Ames High School (Certificate of Merit, Senior Teacher of the Year).
Annually, more than a half million middle and high school students around the world research, develop and present papers, exhibits, documentaries, websites and performances about historical topics. The 2025 theme is “Rights and Responsibilities in History.”
The National History Day in Iowa program has been coordinated by the State Historical Society of Iowa since 1994.
Note: The lists of the state winners and special award recipients are available in the documents linked below: