• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
Chaminade University of Honolulu

Chaminade University of Honolulu

  • VISIT
  • APPLY
  • GIVE
  • STUDENTS
  • PARENTS
  • ALUMNI
  • FACULTY/STAFF
  • CORONAVIRUS UPDATE
  • Admissions
    • Admissions Home
    • Freshman Students
    • Transfer Students
    • Master’s & Doctoral Admissions
    • Flex: Online Undergraduate Students
    • Military Students
    • Non-Degree/Visiting Students
    • Experiential Honors Program
    • Early College Program
  • Tuition & Aid
    • Financial Aid Home
    • Tuition & Expenses
    • Scholarships
    • $5,000 Graduate Scholarship
    • Net Price Calculator
  • Academics
    • Academics Home
    • Office of Student Success
    • Academic Advising
    • Academic Programs
    • Career Development
    • Military Benefits
    • Registrar
    • Tutoring & Learning Services
    • Undergrad Research & Pre-Professional Programs
    • Sullivan Family Library
  • Student Life
    • About Student Life
    • Silversword Athletics
    • Student Activities and Leadership
    • Residence Life
    • Health Services
    • Marianist Leadership Center
    • Counseling Center
    • Campus Ministry
    • Campus Security
    • Dining Services
    • Bookstore
  • About
    • Chaminade University News
    • Our Story
    • Leadership
    • Strategic Plan 2024-2029
    • United Nations CIFAL Honolulu
    • Mission & Rector
    • Association of Marianist Universities
    • Facts & Rankings
    • Commencement
    • Accreditation & Memberships
    • Montessori Laboratory School
Search
×

Search this web site

History in the Making

March 9, 2023 by University Communications & Marketing

Students from middle to high schools show off their historical projects

Participants work on an origami project with the guidance of members from the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii.

With easing COVID restrictions, this year’s Honolulu District History Day Fair was not held virtually for the first time since the pandemic. The hybrid format allowed students to attend in-person at Chaminade University’s Hale Hoaloha. In total, 114 students—from middle to high schools—registered from eight schools, including some ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi students; 65 projects were submitted; and 10 teachers acted as mentors.

“The Chaminade School of Humanities has a longstanding relationship with Hawaii History Day,” says Cheryl Edelson, Chaminade’s Dean of School of Humanities, Arts and Design. “In fact, Chaminade Professor of History, Dr. Mitch Yamasaki, is one of the founding members of Hawaii History Day—a program that since 1990 has brought together K-12 teachers, students and community members to research and create projects on the importance of history.”

Hawaii History Day coincides with the National History Day® (NHD), an educational nonprofit organization that engages teachers and students in historical research. The mission of NHD is to improve the teaching and learning of history in middle and high school through an innovative framework of historical inquiry and research. Students learn history by selecting topics of interest, launching into year-long research projects, and presenting their findings through creative approaches and media.

“The scope of projects and the innovative approaches presented by students is always exciting and impressive,” Edelson says. “In 2021, Hawaii History Day participant Keilani Kajiyama Tinkham of Laie Elementary School earned first place honors in the National Junior Division in Performance for her project The Rhythm of Resilience: Communication through the Bon Dance.” 

Social Studies teacher Jaimy Valerio helps students with their project.

Students can choose from one of five different project formats: Exhibit, Performance, Documentary, Essay and Website. On Hawaii Island, students can also enter their projects in ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi. This year’s narrative theme was “Frontiers in History: People, Places, Ideas.”

“Hawaiʻi History Day is about community, connection, and the exchange of knowledge through storytelling, connecting our histories to our everyday lives and sparking inspiration for the future,”  says Shannon Cristobal, Director of Hawaiʻi History Day. “These community connections and storytelling exchanges have been particularly crucial for our students as they endured constant schedule changes and profound isolation during online learning through the COVID pandemic, which has really hit our educational community hard.”

Winners will go on to compete at the state competition at a later date. Their projects capture the human experience, showcasing the complex historical contexts that have led to the ideas, which have become so ingrained in our everyday lives.

“When students participate in History Day, they become expert detectives, writers, artists and storytellers,” says Devin Makizuru, Hawaii History Day Assistant Coordinator. “They find bits and pieces of a story, and bring them together to create a different one. This story they tell has a part of them in it, so it is special in that way. We may hear the same stories over the years, but the voices telling them are different. And sometimes, something very special happens…and someone tells a story that no one has ever heard before.”

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)

Filed Under: Campus and Community, Diversity and Inclusion, Education, Homepage Large Tagged With: Campus Event

Chaminade University Logo

3140 Waialae Avenue
Honolulu, Hawaii 96816

Contact Us
Phone: (808) 735-4711
Toll-free: (800) 735-3733

facebook twitter instagram youtube linkedin

Visit

  • Plan a Visit
  • Campus Map (PDF)
  • Events

Resources

  • Campus Security
  • Student Consumer Information
  • Institutional Review Board
  • Title IX / Nondiscrimination Policy
  • Emergency Information
  • Careers
  • Campus Incident Report
  • Privacy Policy

People

  • Students
  • Parents
  • Alumni
  • Faculty & Staff
US News Badge US News Badge US News Badge

Footer

© Chaminade University of Honolulu

Terms and Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy