NATIONAL HISTORY DAY SUPPLEMENT [DELAWARE HUMANITIES (DHC) AND THE DELAWARE HISTORICAL SOCIETY (DHS) ARE APPLYING FOR A PLANNING AWARD TO CONDUCT STRATEGIC PLANNING FOR THE DELAWARE NATIONAL HISTORY DAY (NHD) PROGRAM. THE DELAWARE HISTORICAL SOCIETY, WHICH IS THE STATE COORDINATOR, HAS THREE MAIN GOALS FOR THE FUTURE OF NHD: TO RECRUIT MORE PARTICIPANTS FROM PUBLIC SCHOOLS; MORE PARTICIPANTS FROM SOUTHERN DELAWARE; AND TO RECRUIT AN OVERALL GREATER DIVERSITY OF STUDENTS. IN RECENT NHD CONTESTS, ALL OF THE STUDENT PARTICIPANTS WERE FROM ONE OF THE STATE?S THREE COUNTIES?NEW CASTLE, THE MOST URBAN. AND IN THE MOST RECENT CONTEST, ALL OF THE STUDENTS WERE FROM EITHER PRIVATE OR CHARTER SCHOOLS. WITH THE PROPOSED FUNDS DHS WOULD HIRE A STRATEGIC PLANNING CONSULTANT TO WORK WITH A TEAM OF TEACHERS TO DEVELOP PLANS TO ENGAGE STUDENTS FROM PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND THE OTHER COUNTIES. THESE MEETINGS WOULD BE BASED AT DHS OFFICES IN WILMINGTON BUT INCLUDE VIRTUAL ACCESS TO ALLOW COMMITTEE MEMBERS FROM AROUND THE STATE TO PARTICIPATE. THEY WOULD BE FOLLOWED BY FOCUS GROUPS IN ALL THREE COUNTIES. FROM THE STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS DHS WOULD HAVE ACTIONABLE STEPS TO BETTER REACH OUT TO AND ENGAGE WITH THE STUDENTS AND TEACHERS IN RURAL COMMUNITIES, PUBLIC SCHOOLS, AND FROM LOW SOCIOECONOMIC BACKGROUNDS. AWARD FUNDS WOULD PAY FOR THE CONSULTANT; DHC WOULD PAY HONORARIA TO THE TEACHERS FROM ITS OWN BUDGET. ]