Edina Middle Schooler Headed to National History Day

A Valley View Middle School student who put together a documentary about Mahatma Gandhi has been invited to represent Minnesota at the National History Day competition in Washington, D.C. next month.

Meghana Iyer, an eighth grader, worked last fall to research material for her documentary, "Gandhi: A Turning Point in History." Iyer placed second in the junior individual division of the 2013 State History Day competition and will join 32 other Minnesota students at National History Day from June 8-14.

“I look forward to going with the entire Minnesota delegation," Iyer said. "Together as a team I believe we can represent our state well. History Day is a great program for students to express interest in different forms of research, making it fun to be a part of and different than what we regularly learn in the classroom.”

Iyer's documentary focuses on Mahatma Gandhi and how he was able to peacefully influence both people around him and many to come after him. She was inspired to craft the documentary by her own parents, who were born in India. 

This year's topic for National History Day is "Turning Points in History: People, Ideas, Events," aimed at getting students to explore a point in time when history shifted. The program sees half a million students in grades 6-12 participate in research projects every year. Students select a topic of interest to align with that year's theme, then develop that research into one of five categories: a research paper, an exhibit, a documentary, a performance or a website.

Anyone interested in helping with travel expenses for Iyer's trip to the national competition can contact Valley View Middle School History Day coordinators Cathy Weller or Lara Swanson.

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