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Institutional and Educator Membership

Membership Requirements:

After completing the institutional and educator registration, you will be set until regional contest registration opens up during December or January. When regional contest registration is open, you should receive an email from your regional coordinator with more information. Contact Sarah Jacobs, NHD in South Dakota State Coordinator, at 605-688-4582 with any questions.

2024-2025 Important Registration Deadlines

  • Oct. 31, 2024: Last day to register your school/home school association/family under the normal fee amounts.
  • Nov. 1, 2024: First day registration fees increase by $10/school or $5/home school or family.
  • Feb. 18, 2025 at 5 p.m. CT: Regional registration deadline and paper/website lockout.
  • March 17, 2025 at 5 p.m. CT: State registration deadline (see note below).
  • March 24, 2025 at 5 p.m. CT: Lockout deadline for papers and websites; lockout deadline for WRITTEN MATERIALS for documentaries, exhibits, and performances.
  • TBD: National registration deadline and paper/website lockout.

AGAIN IN 2025: All students (regardless of project type) participating in the state contest will be required to submit their written materials (process paper and bibliography) by the lockout deadline on March 24, 2025 at 5 p.m. CT. This rule was put in place for 2022 and we've had a lot of great feedback from judges who enjoyed being able to have more time to read process papers and explore sources. This rule changes has been cleared and approved by the national office. Process papers will be turned in through the registration system by uploading a PDF version similar to what the paper category does.

Institutional Membership Form:

This form must be completed and submitted in order to participate in the competition. Annual state membership dues are required for each school/home school association/family that plans to participate.

Institutional Membership Form

Membership Due Details:

Annual state membership dues are required for each school, home school association, and family that plans to participate. Upon completion of the institutional membership form and payment of dues, NHD in SD will send the contact teacher a copy of this year’s theme and a rule book. Region coordinators will be notified of institutional memberships and will contact you with information regarding region contests.

Contest Date Details:

Institutional Membership Form Due Deadlines:

  • Forms Sent Before Oct. 31, 2024
    • $35 Institution Membership
    • $17.50 Individual Family Membership
  • Late Fee (Forms sent in After Oct. 31, 2024)
    • $45 Institution Membership
    • $22.50 Individual Family Membership

Notice:

  • Institutional Membership dues must be paid and submitted before students can compete at Region and State Contests. This registration serves as your institution’s records of membership for NHD in SD and DOES NOT register your school for Region and State Contests.
  • Project entries are limited to one project per student. This means students cannot enter multiple projects/work with multiple groups. ONE project per student entry.
  • Entries that qualify at region contests will be eligible for the state competition. Region Coordinators will notify the state of the qualifying entries. If your school/home school association/family a represented at the state contest, you will be required to provide a volunteer judge for the state contest.

Educator Registration Form:

This form indicates the number of educators at your institution that will interact with NHD in SD in any capacity. This includes educators who wish to only use NHD® materials in their classroom and those who plan to enter their students in region and state contests. This form ensures that each educator receives proper information about NHD curriculum, this year’s theme, and contest details. It also gives NHD in SD an accurate account of adult program involvement.

All educators at your institution (teachers, student teachers, volunteers, parents, etc.) that plan to participate in NHD in SD MUST FILL OUT a FREE Educator Registration Form.

Educator Membership Form

Notice:

  • Educator registration is FREE and DOES NOT register a teacher for competition, but merely puts them on our email list and gives them access to NHD classroom resources.
  • In December or January, you'll receive an email from your regional coordinator when regional contest registration for students is open.

Region 1 Contest Registration

Region 2 Contest Registration

Region 3 Contest Registration

Region 4 Contest Registration

State Contest Registration

National History Day is a project based learning classroom curriculum that fits within state and national education standards. NHD is supported by National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS), and funding for the program is usually supported for Title 1 schools. All teachers are welcome to request theme and rule books, as well as any further information on how NHD can be utilized in their classroom by filling out the registration form.

South Dakota Agricultural Heritage Museum logo with South Dakota State University written beneath it; SDSU logo; National History Day in South Dakota logo with Mount Rushmore