Press Release:
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Mr. Nathan Petersen, a teacher at Hermon High School in Hermon, Maine, is one of only 114 teachers selected for a National History Day® program titled Legacies of World War I. The program is a partnership between the U.S. World War I Centennial Commission and National History Day. Petersen will participate in webinars and discussions with educators from around the world to learn about World War I and its lasting impact. As one of the selected teachers, Petersen receives free tuition, graduate credits, and materials for the online program.
Each of National History Day’s 58 affiliates could choose two teachers for this honor and the National History Day program in Maine selected Mr. Petersen. Affiliates include all 50 states and the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, the Northern Mariana Islands, and international school programs in China, South Asia, and South Korea.
“As part of the commemoration of the centennial of The Great War, National History Day is proud to partner with the U.S. World War I Centennial Commission to help teachers delve into the history of this global event,” said National History Day Executive Director Dr. Cathy Gorn. “Mr. Petersen will learn about specific aspects of the war he can take back to the classroom to ensure this piece of global history is not forgotten.”
This program is part of an educational partnership with the U.S. World War I Centennial Commission, the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, National History Day, and the National World War I Museum and Memorial. This partnership will educate both teachers and school students about World War I through a series of more than 100 teaching events nationwide.
About National History Day (NHD): NHD is a non-profit organization based in College Park, Maryland, that seeks to improve the teaching and learning of history. The National History Day Contest was established in 1974 and currently engages more than half a million students every year in conducting original research on historical topics of interest. Students present their research as a documentary, exhibit, paper, performance, or website. Projects compete first at the local and affiliate levels, where the top entries are invited to the National Contest at the University of Maryland at College Park. NHD is sponsored in part by HISTORY®, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the National Park Service, Southwest Airlines, the Crown Family Foundation, the Better Angels Society, and the Diana Davis Spencer Foundation. For more information, visit nhd.org.
About National History Day in Maine:
NHD in ME is based in Skowhegan and affiliated with the University of Maine and the Margaret Chase Smith Foundation. This year’s regional contests will be in Lewiston (March 6) and Bangor (March 28). The state contest will be at the University of Maine on (May 2). For more information visit www.mcslibrary.org/national-history-day-in-maine/ or contact State Coordinator John Taylor at john.m.taylor@maine.edu or 207-474-7133.
About the U.S. World War I Centennial Commission: The U.S. World War One Centennial Commission was created by Congress in 2013 to provide education programs, public outreach, and guidance for commemorative events regarding America's involvement in WWI, which many see as The War That Changed the World. The World War One Centennial Commission is creating the National WWI Memorial in Washington, DC through private donation. To learn more about the World War One Centennial Commission and its work, visit ww1cc.org