Judges

Why Become a History Day Judge?

Judges are crucial to the success of Rhode Island History Day! History Day judges share their time and talents to support history education and local students by evaluating student projects and providing supportive feedback that helps students improve their public speaking, research, critical thinking, and writing skills.

The excellent work of our judges before and during our State Contest not only contributes to the event's success but also helps ensure that our student qualifiers will represent Rhode Island at the nationals armed with the strong and constructive feedback you provide.

Becoming a Judge

Judge Expectations

During our contest season, RIHD Judges will:

Register as a judge on our History Day portal.
Complete online judge training.
Review judge training materials.
Review assigned project Process Papers and Annotated Bibliographies one week in advance of the contest.
Attend the State Contest from approximately 8am to 1pm (time will depend on which round(s) you judge).
Work with an assigned judge team of two to three to evaluate projects and interview students.
Provide constructive feedback with project rubrics.
Enjoy a free catered breakfast and lunch on Contest Day.

We ask that those who judge:

Arrive on time and remain until the judging of their assigned projects is completed.
Let us know as soon as possible if you can no longer judge.
Pay careful attention as you review the projects so that you can evaluate them well. Students have worked on their projects for months and look forward to sharing their work.
Alert RI History Day staff to any conflicts of interest, including students you know personally or schools with which you have a close relationship.
Set aside personal bias for or against topics. Judge each project based on the merits of the evidence and historical argument that the student presents.
Contact RI History Day staff immediately at rhodeisland@nhd.org if there are problems. We are here to help!

Registering

All judges must register via our official NHD portal. You will be able to select your preference of categories and divisions to judge during registration. The divisions are: Junior (grades 6-8) and Senior (grades 9-12). Categories are organized by individual and group projects, and include Documentary, Exhibit, Paper, Performance, and Website. You will be placed (as best we can) within one of your top choices. Judging teams will be grouped by these placements and areas of expertise to form a well-rounded team.

Training & Materials

General Resources

Documentary

Exhibit

Paper

Performance

Website