Dr. Christyne Berzsenyi, associate professor of English at Penn State Wilkes-Barre has been awarded a one-year, $1,000 grant from Wal-Mart for the regional competition for National History Day. The funding will be used to help pay for student awards and other expenses related to the event.
Maureen Mulligan, community involvement coordinator for Wal-Mart, approved the grant and said, "Wal-Mart has always reached-out to neighbors in the community and has been known to help those who need support in many different ways. Based on need, Wal-Mart awards over 20 grants per year, ranging from $1,000 to $5,000. All the money gets distributed to valid non-profit groups." The community coordinator stated she enjoys helping organizations that are truly in need. "There are a lot groups out there, and it's great that Wal-Mart can help people who need it the most."
National History Day is a highly regarded academic organization for elementary and secondary school students. Each year participants from northeastern Pennsylvania choose historical topics related to a theme and conduct extensive primary and secondary research through libraries, archives, museums, oral history interviews and historic sites. Students then present their work in original papers, websites, exhibits, performances and documentaries.
Berzsenyi, who is the campus coordinator for Regional History Day said, "Hosting the regional competition is a wonderful opportunity for Penn State Wilkes-Barre to share our educational expertise and resources, as well as our facilities with bright and motivated local students, devoted teachers, and our active community of history enthusiasts." The regional event will be held at Penn State Wilkes-Barre on Saturday, March 28, from 9:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m. The top three finishers from each region advance to the Pennsylvania State competition, and then winners at the state level compete in National History Day at the University of Maryland in June.
For information, contact Christine Berzsenyi at 675-9275 or e-mail Berzsenyi at [email protected].
