Organization Requirements:

Eligible applicants are required to be nonprofit 501(c)(3) history organizations such as a museum, historical society, preservation organization, historic site, library, archive, or other history organization.

Applicant organizations must be located in one of the 50 states or the District of Columbia.

Other eligible applicants include local government agencies such as a parks and recreation commission, historic commission, department of local history, or other local government agency that owns and/or operates a historic site or property.

Eligible applicants must partner with a local elementary, middle, or high school, or an organization that provides educational programming for children of similar ages. Applicants may partner with multiple schools or educational organizations.

Eligible applicants must submit the application on behalf of their partner school(s) or educational organization(s) as the school(s) or educational organization(s) are not eligible to be the applicant

Organizations that have received a Save Our History grant in the last three years are not eligible to apply.

Criteria:

The Save Our History Grant Review Panel will judge submitted applications based on the following three key criteria:

Proposed projects must focus on exploring and preserving a significant aspect of community history. Projects might focus on the history and/or efforts to help preserve a neighborhood, building, cemetery, historic site, historic collections, or an historic event or tradition that is important to the local community. The project could include primary research, physical preservation or clean-up efforts, historical documentation, archaeological or architectural studies, oral histories, exhibits, efforts to register or advocate for a site for national, state, or local historic landmark status, etc.

Proposed projects must raise awareness among students and community members about the significance of their local heritage and the importance of preserving it.

Proposed projects must include a tangible resource that captures students' effort to learn about and preserve their local history in a unique, creative way.
While applicants can include multiple tangible resources, one resource that creatively captures the project objective is sufficient. Resources can include an exhibit, a notebook, research documentation, a photo or video documentary, a map, pamphlet, walking/driving tour, oral history, historical marker, podcast, etc.

To be eligible, a teacher must be a participant in the National History Day program and be nominated by the state History Day coordinator. The evaluation criteria are as follows:

Development and use of creative teaching methods that interest students in history and help them make exciting discoveries about the past. Examples could include active learning projects, such as mock debates or oral history projects; innovative use of primary sources; integrated communication technology in history research and classroom learning; teaching methods which link history to students' broader interests (e.g., using interdisciplinary approaches to historical topics by developing projects which link history to current events, debates, and issues); or the use of teaching methods which build a range of skills in students as they study history.

Exemplary commitment to helping students develop their interest in history and recognize their achievements. Examples could include exemplary support and guidance for students working on History Day projects; assistance in helping students showcase their history projects within the community and/or publish their material; overall commitment to the intellectual development of individual students; or encouragement of student to use their understanding of history to become engaged, informed citizens in their community and beyond.

To be eligible, the nominee must be a participant in the National History Day program and may be a teacher, media specialist, district or state National History Day coordinator, judge or parent. Nominees will be evaluated on the following criteria:

1. Success in involving students in the program at the district, state, and national levels. The committee especially welcomes individuals who work within diverse communities.

2. Service to the History Day program at all levels of the contests. Examples could include: mentoring new History Day teachers, judging, fund raising, publication of History Day materials, or strengthening the History Day community within a state or at the national level.

3. Service to the discipline of history in general. Examples could include: Involvement in community projects that enhance people's understanding and appreciation of history at the local level and beyond; creative teaching in the classroom which helps students develop an appreciation of history; collection of resources for history research in one's community or state; publication of history lesson plans; or publication in professional journals of interest to history teachers and educators generally.

4. Professional development. Examples could include: presentation at workshops, special courses or institutes, or publications.