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National History Day in Massachusetts

Advocate for NHD

Advocating for NHD: Every Voice Counts

In order to build capacity and increase access to National History Day in Massachusetts, the Massachusetts Historical Society, as the state sponsor, solicits external funding from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, state agencies, private foundations, and individual donors. External funding for NHD makes it possible to:

  • Reduce or eliminate registration fees for students
  • Offer in-depth professional development workshops and rich online resources for teachers and students
  • Make inroads in our ultimate goal of making NHD accessible to all grades 6-12 students across the Commonwealth

Image entitled /2012/juniper/assets/masshistoryday/Screenshot_2025-04-24_155527.jpg

Check out historian Doris Kearns Goodwin speaking about the importance of National History Day on a recent CNN appearance.

Thanks to last year's state funding, we’ve been able to sustain NHD in current schools and grow the program in new schools across the state. We've seen:

  • a 52% increase in participating schools since 2021 
  • a 112% increase in student participation since 2021 (and a 37% increase in the last year)
Here is our impact statement for more details about why NHD is so important for Massachusetts students and teachers.

To demonstrate to legislators that NHD is a vital program for Massachusetts, we need your help! 

We are asking state reps to support Amendment #1641 in the FY26 budget, which would provide $100K in funding for NHD. This amendment has been filed by Rep. Lindsay Sabadosa.

Please contact your state rep using the scripts provided below and request their support.

 

Email Template

Please email your MA state representative and share with them why NHD is important. If you’re not sure who your state legislator is or how to contact them, please visit MA’s Find My Legislator page. Enter your address, and then click on your legislator's name for their contact info. Please CC nhd@masshist.org on your email so we can track advocacy.

Email Template

Subject: Please Support Amendment #1641 for National History Day in Massachusetts in FY26 Budget

Dear Rep. _________,

My name is ______, and I’m an [educator / parent / student / other title] and a constituent. I’m writing to ask you to support Amendment #1641, a $100K earmark (sponsored by Rep. Lindsay Sabadosa) in the FY26 budget for National History Day in Massachusetts (NHD), run by the Massachusetts Historical Society. A yearlong interdisciplinary program focused on historical research, interpretation, and creative expression for students in Grades 6-12, NHD is one of the most effective ways to prepare our students for college, career, and active citizenship, honing important 21st-century skills like critical thinking and media literacy. 

I believe that funding for National History Day is critical because it will provide students and teachers with the robust resources necessary for inquiry-based, student-centered learning, which is at the heart of the NHD program. State funding will help to increase access to this vital program for students and teachers across the Commonwealth.

[If possible, please share your own experience with National History Day and/or why you feel it is a valuable program.]

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,
Name (can also include title, institution)

Phone Call Template

Please call your MA state representative. If you’re not sure who your legislator is or how to contact them, please visit MA’s Find My Legislator page. Enter your address, and then click on your legislator's name for their contact info.

Phone Call Template

Hello, my name is ______, and I’m an [educator / parent / student / other title] and a constituent. I’m calling to ask the Representative to support Amendment #1641, a $100K earmark (sponsored by Rep. Lindsay Sabadosa) in the FY26 budget for National History Day in Massachusetts (NHD), run by the Massachusetts Historical Society. A yearlong interdisciplinary program focused on historical research, interpretation, and creative expression for students in Grades 6-12, NHD is one of the most effective ways to prepare our students for college, career, and active citizenship, honing important 21st-century skills like critical thinking and media literacy. 

I believe that funding for National History Day is critical because it will provide students and teachers with the robust resources necessary for inquiry-based, student-centered learning, which is at the heart of the NHD program. State funding will help to increase access to this vital program for students and teachers across the Commonwealth.

[If possible, please share your own experience with National History Day and/or why you feel it is a valuable program.]

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Note: Please leave a voicemail if no one answers, as the legislator's staff will listen to your message.

Social Media Template

Please post about NHD and tag your state rep. If you’re not sure who your legislator is or how to contact them, please visit MA’s Find My Legislator page.

Social Media Template

Option 1:

@MAHistoryDay is important to me because [fill in your own story] Please support Amendment #1641 filed by @LSabadosaMA in the FY26 budget and give other students the same tools for success @[enter your MA state rep] #NHDMA

Option 2:

@MAHistoryDay taught me [fill in your own story] Please support Amendment #1641 filed by @LSabadosaMA in the FY26 budget and give other students the same tools for success  @[enter your MA state rep] #NHDMA

Questions?

Contact us at nhd@masshist.org with any questions. Thank you for advocating on behalf of National History Day in Massachusetts!