Katherine Plunkett, an eighth grade graduate of Saint Philomena School, recently earned national recognition at the National History Day contest. She won the special award for Junior Division Outstanding Entry for Rhode Island sponsored by the National Parks and also placed in the top 10 for all entries in her category from around the United States as a Junior Individual Exhibit finalist.
Her project was titled “The Lowell Mill Girls and Their Stand for Working Women.” More than a half-million students around the world entered the National History Day contest at the local level, with the top entries advancing to state/affiliate contests. The top two entries in each category were invited to the National History Day National Contest at the University of Maryland, College Park, June 11-15.
Competitors represented the 57 affiliate members, including every state, Washington, D.C., American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico and international schools in South Korea, South Asia and China. More than 3,000 middle and high school students presented their work related to the 2017 theme, “Taking a Stand in History.”
“The competitors at this level are some of the hardest working students of their generation,” said National History Day Executive Director Dr. Cathy Gorn. “The work they produce is astounding in its breadth and scope of historical research. Once again, they amazed me, the NHD staff, and the judges with their dynamic and creative projects. Congratulations to the winners of the 2017 National History Day Contest.”
