Jeffrey Ellison wrote in Prism Journal that “performance requires students to learn history and delve into the inner life of a person through research and reflection… Performing… requires the use of all the senses.”

National History Day (NHD) is a valuable program to engage students in personal and creative learning.  In 2024, then seventh grader Juniper Kabat, from La Crescent Montessori & STEM School, brought that vision to life. Inspired by Mary Rostad’s book, Squirrel Is Alive, she researched the story of Mary, a teenage resistance worker in Europe during World War II. Juniper spent months studying resistance movements and historical context, writing a script, designing props, and memorizing the story. She performed her piece at the regional NHD competition and advanced to the state level in Minneapolis, sharing Mary’s story with a broader audience.  Juniper's work illustrates how National History Day allows students to connect deeply with the past while developing historical skills.