Fourteen history buffs from Kahuku High and Intermediate, King Intermediate and Laie Elementary schools are in June heading to the National History Day contest in Maryland.

Students from the schools won their place at the contest after securing victories in late April at the Oahu State History Day Fair competition. Students presented their projects in one of five formats, including performances, essays and websites. 

Each of the students must raise $2,000 for the trip. The national contest is being held near Washington, D.C., at the University of Maryland at College Park. 

The students and their winning projects:

• James Miller & Kwinton Ho Ching, Laie Elementary: The Rodney King Beating: An 81-Second Turning Point of No Return (6th- to 8th-grade documentary category, third place)
• Truman Spring & Kaylee Miller, Kahuku High & Intermediate: Crazy Horse: A Turning Point in the Lives of Native Americans (6th- to 8th-grade performance category, second place)
• Jade Young, King Intermediate: The 19th Amendment (6th- to 8th-grade paper category, second place)
• Jane Bradshaw, Laie Elementary: Amelia Earhart: Wings for Women (6th- to 8th-grade exhibit category, first place)
• Arenui Anderson & Sasha Yamada, Kahuku High & Intermediate: Lunar Impressions: The Apollo 11 Mission ( 9th- to 12th-grade documentary category, third place);
• Tian Ford, Emma Houghton & Isaiah Spring, Kahuku High & Intermediate: The Peninsula Campaign: A Turning Point Toward Emancipation (9th- to 12th-grade performance category, first place);
• Hanatea Elkington & Sala McCarthy-Stonex, Kahuku High & Intermediate: Hagia Sophia: The Church of Holy Wisdom ( 9th- to 12th-grade website category, first place).

An exhibit about Amelia Earhart was one of the projects to win first place at the Oahu competition. (Photo courtesy of Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com.)

— Alia Wong