Recipients of the Castles Award in Columbia River Basin History

National History Day

History Day in Washington

History Day in Oregon

Oregon State Coordinator,
Tania Hyatt-Evenson

History Day in Idaho

ESD 112 Regional Coordinator,
Irene Soohoo

CCRH Program Manager, Mary Wheeler

In support of its mission and in the spirit of James Castles and the Castles Programs, CCRH is proud to sponsor the CCRH Castles Award in Columbia River Basin History for National History Day participants at Washington State History Day.

There will be one award each in the junior and senior division, and projects can be in any of the National History Day categories: documentary, exhibit, paper or performance. Both individual and group projects are eligible.

The CCRH Castles Award in Columbia River Basin History will be for projects that deal with any aspect of Columbia River Basin history. The Columbia River Basin is a 259,000-square-mile area that includes territory in seven states - Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Wyoming, and Utah - and one Canadian province - British Columbia. (View a map of the Columbia River Basin.)

Each division winner of the CCRH Castles Award in Columbia River Basin History will receive $150 and a certificate of merit. For Group project award winners, one check will be given to the team leader, but the award money should be split equally among group members. CCRH representatives attending the Washington State History Day contest will determine the award, and their decisions are final.

Criteria for the CCRH Castles Award in Columbia River Basin History will parallel that of National History Day, with emphasis on the depth of historical research and balanced use of available primary sources, the inclusion of the students' own reasoned analysis and interpretation, and connection of the topic to the theme. Additionally, students should demonstrate clearly their topic's historical context and its importance in Columbia River Basin history.

Students are not limited to any specific type of Columbia River Basin history - i.e environmental, social, political, or military history - rather they are encouraged to think about their topic from as many different perspectives as possible. Students are also encouraged to use the CCRH website as a resource and to contact CCRH staff if they need help locating sources of information about their topic.