: Public Registration: An Overview

Forget the paperwork. Save the trees. Save time, too! Now, you can register online for National History Day! This tutorial will give you an overview of the public registration process, whether you're a teacher, student, or parent of a participating History Day student.

The "Hub & Spoke" Registration Process

Each registrant -- whether a teacher, student, or student's parent -- will create a Registration Profile in the online system. 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.

History Day 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 your personal Registration Status Page. Once you're initially set up, you can log into this page and link directly to any item in your Registration Profile from its listing on 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 (a) you need click the 'reload' or 'refresh' button at the top of your browser window, or possibly close the browser window and then log-in again to see the changes; or (b) there are other pieces of missing 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 is still needed to complete their registration.

Should a student'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 entry. In that case, you'll only need to enter a few additional items in your Registration Profile, usually 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 entry for any special awards which may be offered. Students can also fine-tune their entry titles, synopses, and other entry-related information.)

NOTE: The initial registration process must begin with the teacher (or, if a home school, the parent 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.