East Orange Stem Academy students, from left, Zakar Shabazz-Faulk, Hayden Davis and Neil Herbert, will be heading to Maryland to compete in a National History Day contest.
EAST ORANGE,NJ — Three students from East Orange STEM Academy will be joining other middle and high-school students from across the country to compete at the National History Day Contest June 11-15 at the University of Maryland in College Park.
At the week–long event, the three will do a performance piece that earned them top honors at the New Jersey History Day state competition held at William Paterson University in Wayne on May 6.
The students who will be traveling to Maryland are: Neil Herbert, Zaakar Shabazz-Fault, and Hayden Davis. Their teacher is Tracy Prince. The category they are entered in is Jr. Group Performance and their entry is titled “Steve Biko: A Fight Against Apartheid.”
New Jersey History Day is a year-long educational program designed for students in grades 6-12. Throughout the school year, students conduct research of primary and secondary resources in order to prepare presentations based on an annual theme. Biko was an anti-apartheid activist in South Africa who was beaten to death by state security in August of 1977.
The theme for 2023 is Frontiers in History: People, Places, and ideas.The program culminates in a series of contests held at the regional, state and national levels.
“I am beyond proud of my students and their dedication to creating a performance piece that depicted the power and legacy of the late Steve Biko,” said Prince, a social studies teacher. “This experience demonstrated to me that students only need the opportunity to express themselves freely, in order to maximize their potential. I am honored to have the chance to continue to work with them on this amazing journey to Nationals.”
New Jersey History Day is part of the National History Network.
Middle schoolers in national competition added by Editor on
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