By Cathi Taylor, ALA National Headquarters Archivist 

I recently read a blog post written by Modern Learners co-founder Brian Dixon about finding potential in every student. Modern Learners is a company that — as they put it — “…helps organizational leaders build a culture of learning through community, content, and events.” In his post, Every Kid Can Do Amazing Things, Dixon writes that a child’s potential is not necessarily obvious. It’s not always about sports or the arts, but the talent is there and deserves dignity and respect.
 
After reading it, I began thinking about the push for STEM education and how, while pushed with good intentions, I’m glad I missed it. I will admit there were times I found a scientific tidbit interesting, and I liked math to a point, but to have a steady diet of either one never appealed to me. It was always history.
 
I can hear those who disagree with their chants that history is boring, and if all you did in school was memorize dates and names, it is boring. But by learning the story behind Orville and Wilbur Wright’s contributions to flight, or standing on the porch of a cabin built by your fifth great-grandfather as I have, well, there’s nothing like it. And I will dare anyone to talk about anything without using history, even if the history is only a day or two old.
 
Now, students have an avenue in which to display their love of history. David Van Tassel, a professor from Case Western Reserve University, founded it back in 1974 to promote the analyzation of historical events and for students to make their own conclusions about the event’s impact. More than half a million students participate at the local level. Winners of the regional competitions move on to state, and those winners — all 2,800 of them — head to the University of Maryland for the national competition. The event? National History Day. 
 
CBS Sunday Morning presented a segment a few weeks ago about this year’s contest. If you missed the episode, you can see the segment here. It will take only a few minutes of your time.  
 
You may be asking what this has to do with American Legion Auxiliary history, or that of The American Legion Family. Well, it doesn’t — not directly anyway. However, what if I were to purport that it fits in well with some of our programs? I can think of Americanism, Community Service, and Education, to name a few. 
 
Here is a short list of the turning points in America that made their way to the national competition:

• The Hello Girls: Turning Points in War Communication and Women’s Equality
• The Attack of Pearl Harbor: A Day which will Live in Infamy
• The Korean War: A Beginning of Political Unrest
• OXI: How One Word Changed the Course of WWII
• The First Women Marines: A Turning Point in Women's History 

And if you noticed, the young man featured in the National History Day segment is the descendant of a veteran. How many other students participating in this competition are descendants of veterans? 
 
And what if they aren’t descendants? Does that matter? These young people are learning all matters of American history, developing their critical thinking skills, and learning about the work and sacrifices that have gone into making this country. So, how can The American Legion Family help?
 
Every state has a National History Day competition, and they are always looking for volunteers. Whether it’s setting up for the regional or state competitions, or judging the entries, the organizations that sponsor these events have a need. 
 
Several state competitions are also looking for special awards sponsors. Each award comes with specific criteria a student must meet in order to win the prize and is sponsored by institutions or individuals around the state.
 
If this isn’t enough, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, through a grant from the Veterans Legacy Program, is currently sponsoring an opportunity for students in a special project. The topic for 2024-2025 is “Silent Heroes: Untold Stories from the Korean War.” You can learn more about it here. 
 
Do you hear opportunity knocking? I certainly do. These young people are doing some truly amazing things. They deserve our assistance and support.