Minnesota Connections Academy Students Participate in National History Day

MTS Minnesota Connections Academy proudly announces that three of its students participated in the 2016 South Central Regional History Day at Minnesota State University - Mankato on March 15. Eighth graders Katharine Davis, of Madelia, and Abigail Thelen, of Eden Prairie, presented their documentary, "Kids Encountering the Great Depression." Thelen and Davis qualified for the state competition, which will be held on State History Day, May 1, at the University of Minnesota. Their 10-minute documentary features interviews with local senior citizens about their memories of growing up during the Great Depression. "We learned so much from this project," said Davis. "It was so neat to hear people's first-hand memories of this time in history." Thelen added, "We are so excited that we qualified for state and we are so grateful to everyone who helped with our project."

Sydney Mitchell of Waterville, a 7th grader, presented her website, Laura Ingalls Wilder "On the Banks of Plum Creek" at the event. "When I heard what the theme was for History Day 2016," said Mitchell, "I immediately knew that my topic would be Laura Ingalls Wilder." Mitchell shares her extensive research on Wilder, along with her personal experience—which includes two visits to Walnut Grove, as well as seeing the pageant, museum, and Laura's dugout site—on her comprehensive website.

"We're so very proud of all of these students," said Alma Mendez, Minnesota Connections Academy social studies teacher. "They put so much work into their projects. They were very excited to participate in the regional event and look forward to participating again next year."

National History Day is an inter-disciplinary research project for students in grades 6-12. Students choose a topic that relates to an annual theme, which for 2016 was “Exploration, Encounter, Exchange in History.” Students were encouraged to look beyond topics that first come to mind, such as Columbus or Lewis and Clark, and begin to understand the many different areas of history that can connect to these ideas. They then research the topic and develop their research into one of five presentation categories: research paper, exhibit, documentary, performance, or website. Students can enter their projects into History Day competitions at school, regional, state, and national levels.

More than 2,000 students across the state are currently served by Minnesota Connections Academy and its full-time faculty members, which include state-certified teachers, school guidance counselors, special education professionals, and administrative staff. “We're proud to offer families a high-quality education option that helps meet the needs of every child," says Melissa Gould, principal at Minnesota Connections Academy. Enrollment for the 2016-17 school year is now underway. Families interested in online education are encouraged to attend a free information session — either online or in-person — to learn more. For a complete schedule with dates and locations, visit www.MinnesotaConnectionsAcademy.com/Events.