[SOA] Resources (and a Contest!) for Ohio History Day 2026

[Ratcliff, Tina]

SOA Members,



Each year, the Ohio Historical Records Advisory Board (OHRAB) offers Ohio History Day<https://www.ohiohistory.org/education/ohio-history-day/> awards for papers, websites, and documentaries that demonstrate exceptional use of Ohio primary sources.  In the past few years, we've noticed a significant drop off in students' use of primary sources from Ohio's archives and libraries.  To encourage students to explore archival collections in Ohio, both in person and online, OHRAB is reaching out to you to ask if you have collections that exemplify the 2026 History Day Theme of Revolution, Reform, Reaction in History.



If you could send us the name of your institution and the name of the collection that you believe a student could use to develop a great project, we would very much appreciate it.  These submissions will be incorporated into the theme materials and resources that the Ohio History Day Program Coordinators at the Ohio History Connection share with educators around the state.



To up the ante a bit, we are offering a prize to the institution that submits a short paragraph describing why its collection best exemplifies the theme of Revolution, Reform, Reaction in History.  For example, I work for a county government.  As you can imagine, we aren't too keen on revolution.  But even I could find a collection that would fit the theme:



Montgomery County Board of County Commissioners, Paula McIlwaine Papers:  Paula McIlwaine was the first elected woman to the Montgomery County Board of County Commissioners.  Her election led to a revolution in the advancement of women within county government.  Commissioner McIlwaine went on to reform county government, bringing efficiency and professionalism to county administration.  The reaction to Commissioner McIlWaine's efforts continue to this day as Montgomery County aims to honor the legacy she left.



All submission are due August 15, 2025.



Consider this to be a late summer brain teaser.  To get those little gray cells working, see the National History Day Theme Book<https://nhd.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/NHD_2026_ThemeBook_online_052225.pdf> for ideas.  Morgan McQueen from the Ohio History Connection has a great article offering the Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks as a topic.



As we celebrate America250 in 2026, let's help students learn what makes their communities unique by introducing them to the archives and libraries that make their communities special.



If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to me.



Tina Ratcliff

OHRAB, Chair





Tina S. Ratcliff
Montgomery County Records & Information Manager

Montgomery County Records Center & Archives
117 S. Main St.
PO Box 972
Dayton OH 45422
(937) 496-6932
ratclifft at mcohio.org<mailto:ratclifft at mcohio.org>







-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.oplin.org/pipermail/ohioarchivists/attachments/20250731/57b83f6f/attachment.htm>