Nearly 300 students from throughout the state will begin competing this month for the opportunity to represent their schools at Tennessee History Day.

Tennessee History Day is an affiliate of National History Day, an event that was started in 1974 to help students experience history outside of the traditional classroom setting. As part of History Day, students in grades six through 12 compete against each other by producing research papers, documentaries, websites, exhibits or performances of historical significance.

The winners of the district competitions this month and next month will be eligible to participate in a statewide competition in April.

The district competitions will be held Feb. 16 in Clarksville, Feb. 19 in Murfreesboro, Feb. 27 in Memphis, March 3 in Cleveland and March 4 in Knoxville.

The theme of this year’s contest is “Exploration, Encounter, Exchange in History.” The students’ projects must relate to that theme.

The district winners will qualify to participate in the statewide event, which will be held at the Legislative Plaza, War Memorial Building, Tennessee Tower and Nashville Public Library April 9. The Tennessee Historical Society, with the continued support of Secretary of State Tre Hargett and Humanities Tennessee, will host the competition.

“I’m proud that our office is once again able to be a sponsor of this terrific contest,” Secretary Hargett said. “Every year, I’m impressed by the hard work and creativity these students put into their projects. In the course of working on these projects, they learn research and problem-solving skills that will serve them well in college and in their careers. Research has also shown that students who participate in History Day are more likely to be more engaged in civil life after they reach adulthood.”

The winners of the statewide competition are eligible to participate in National History Day, which will be held June 12-16 in College Park, Maryland.