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Although this year has come with lots of changes for students and teachers across the state, the N.C. Museum of History has continued its Tar Heel Junior Historian Association (THJHA) awards. These awards recognized junior historians for outstanding projects submitted in THJHA contests, which encourage students to research the historical significance of people, places and events in their own communities.

Colton Mills from Aquadale Elementary School was named a winner in the individual Artifact Search contest in the elementary division for his “American dome-top trunk.”

All winning projects are showcased in the exhibit History in Every Direction: Tar Heel Junior Historian Association Discovery Gallery, now open to visitors at the museum.

“Though we weren’t able to gather junior historians in person as we usually do for the Annual Convention, we were still able to join together virtually to announce the winners of our Annual Contests and celebrate the work of so many students across our state,” said Jessica Pratt, THJHA program coordinator. “Now that the museum has opened its doors to the public, we look forward to sharing the history that these junior historians have discovered with our visitors.”

Authorized by the North Carolina General Assembly in 1953, the Tar Heel Junior Historian Association is sponsored by the North Carolina Museum of History, part of the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources. The association is made up of a network of free clubs across the state, with members in grades 4–12. Each club must have at least one adult adviser.

Clubs may be sponsored by public, private or home schools, or by other organizations such as museums and historical societies, 4-H groups, Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts. Clubs can be any size, from one student and one adviser to hundreds of students and several advisers. Clubs must renew their membership each school year, using an online application at tarheeljuniorhistorians.org.