Nearly 500 elementary, middle and high school students from throughout Riverside County will showcase their knowledge of the past Saturday during a National History Day competition in Moreno Valley.
The 2026 National History Day contest is set for 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday at Canyon Springs High School on Cougar Canyon Road. This year’s theme, in recognition of the nation’s upcoming 250th birthday, is “Revolution, Reaction, Reform in History,” according to the county Office of Education.
“Students of history are the leaders who shape the present and are poised to become the next world-changers,” Superintendent of Schools Edwin Gomez said. “This year’s National History Day theme … is a perfect example of how the lessons from yesterday remain essential building blocks for better understanding of today’s challenges and tomorrow’s opportunities.”
A total 471 students from six public school districts and six charter schools or private academies are scheduled to compete.
The top scoring teams in the fourth- and fifth grade divisions, as well as those in the junior and senior levels, will advance to the National History Day-California State Competition set for May 1-3 at Cal State Sacramento.
According to the Office of Education, contestants will profile a range of topics that correspond to this year’s theme.
One of the junior division exhibits is “Trying To Do Things as Men Have Tried: Amelia Earhart and Advocacy for Women’s Independence,” which will feature a documentary on the aviatrix and her endeavors.
Another project hits on 1980s pop culture, titled “Adopted, Not Bought; The Cabbage Patch Kids and the Revolution of Childhood Consumer Culture,” featuring the revolutionary marketing tactics that raised the status of the otherwise ordinary dolls to high demand.
An awards ceremony will follow scoring for the competition at the end of the day.
Additional information is available at www.rcoe.us/student-events/history-day.