What you need to know about the NHD Online Registration process

Forget the paperwork. Save the trees. Save time, too! Here is an overview of the NHD Online Registration process, whether you're a teacher, student, or parent of a participating National History Day student.

If you're new to National History Day, the first thing to know is that we are always working hard to make it easier for you, your students, and/or your children to participate! Because there are so many ways in which our youngsters may participate (individually, or as a team; in any one of several categories; and in one, or multiple rounds of the Contest), online registration must be flexible enough to accommodate them all. We believe the system we have designed does the best possible job of balancing that need for flexibility with ease-of-use, safety, security, and above all, accuracy and thoroughness.

The “Hub & Spoke” Registration Process

First, it is important to understand that everyone involved in NHD -- whether a teacher, student, or the student's parent or guardian -- must register. If your student's project is judged to be a winner, and he/she advances to latter rounds of the NHD Contest, there may be travel and other arrangements that will absolutely need the prior knowledge and approval of the student's parent(s).

To make this possible, every participating teacher, student, and at least one parent or guardian of that student, begins by creating a Registration Profile in the NHD Online Registration system. The good news is that you'll be able to come back and update your Profile at any time prior to the registration closing date for your next History Day competition event, so if you don't have all the information or answers available right away -- don't worry! You can save your work at any time, and continue later.

NHD Online Registration is based on a “hub & spoke” system. Each step, or “spoke,” of the registration process will be shown as a linked item on the “hub,” your personal Registration Status Page. Once you're initially set up, you can log into this page and access any item in your Registration Profile with a single click from your Registration Status Page. This saves the hassle of having to step through the entire registration sequence each time you return.

The Registration Status Page also features “progress indicators” next to each registration item, enabling you to see at a glance which items in your Registration Profile are complete. These status indicators are updated in real time, meaning that as soon as all necessary information has been entered and saved for a given item on the Status Page, you will see a green checkmark appear to the left.

NOTE: If you believe you have entered all requested information, and the status indicator does NOT change to a green check-mark, it could be that

You need click the ‘reload’ or ‘refresh’ button at the top of your browser window;
You might want to close your browser window, and then log-in again to view the changes;
You may be trying to register while using an out-of-date web browser that does not support the technology necessary to make NHD Online Registration work properly; or
There may be other pieces of information, related to that item, that you do not see or control (i.e., for teachers, there may be parent information missing for a particular student, for which you do not have access). If you believe this to be the case, we suggest contacting the student, parent and/or teacher to remind them that some essential information may still be needed to complete their registration.

YOU’LL LIKE THIS: Should you youngster's entry advance to the next higher level of competition, you won't need to re-enter your Profile information; it will "move up" to the next competition, along with information about your student's/your child's entry. However, you may need to enter a few additional items in your Registration Profile; typically, information pertaining specifically to the next level of competition. (This can include things like travel and accommodation arrangements, special event sign-ups, and the opportunity to nominate your student's/your child's entry for special awards which may be available at the next level of competition. Students may also use this “move-up” opportunity fine-tune their entry titles, synopses, and other entry-related information; depending on the particular rules governing the next round of competition; they will receive more information about this from the contest coordinators.)

NOTE: While teachers, students AND parents/guardians all must create a Registration Profile, the initial registration process must begin with the teacher (or, if a home schooled-student, the parent or guardian who serves as teacher). Until there is basic information in the system about the teacher, teacher's school, his/her students and their entries, students and parents cannot correctly access the system, nor provide additional, essential information. If you are a student, parent or guardian, and cannot log-in to complete your part of NHD Online Registration, please check with your student's teacher to verify that he/she has entered this essential, pre-requisite information.

NEED HELP? As you move through the NHD Online Registration process, you'll find links to “NHD Online Help” on each page. Please take a moment to read this information; we update it regularly, and try to provide answers to all of the most commonly-asked questions. If you cannot find the answer you need, each page of NHD Online Help will also contain a brief “Feedback and Support” form, which you can use to tell us exactly what you're encountering, or what answer you may not be able to find. We are automatically notified the moment you send us this form, and we will respond to all legitimate inquiries as quickly as possible; usually the next business day. In the meantime, if you feel you cannot complete your NHD Online Registration, save your work to that point, and please watch your eMail in-box for a message from us. Also be sure to check your eMail junk folder, as sometimes messages are inadvertently placed there by your eMail program.