Volunteer As A Judge

As a judge, History Day events are rewarding experiences. The History Day program, students, and teachers will also be relying on you as a critical part of the educational process. Here is what you can expect at History Day, as well as what the program expects of you as a judge.

As a Judge you will:

• Sign up in advance on the website.
• Attend a judge orientation on the day of the event.
• Work with 1-2 other volunteers to review projects and interview students.
• Select the strongest projects to advance to the next level of competition.
• Provide written feedback about each project you view.

As a judge, you are responsible to:

• Arrive on time and stay until the judging process is completed.
• Let us know as soon as possible if your schedule changes and you are unable to judge.
• Be familiar with the Judge Handbook and the category rules of the projects you are evaluating.
• Remember the age of your audience. Some students are as young as 4th grade and may be nervous to discuss their work. Ask questions which prompt students to provide information, and be patient if they are shy or anxious.
• Pay careful attention so you can evaluate well. Students have worked for months on their projects and are looking forward this opportunity to share their work.
• Judges should avoid distractions such as personal phone calls, texts, etc. during the event.
• Judges may not bring minor children that they need to supervise to the event.
• Let the History Day staff know right away if there are problems. We are here to help!

We appreciate your time and will do our best to make this experience rewarding for everyone involved!