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Illinois Regional History Fairs are held in the early spring at college campuses throughout Illinois. Read on for more information about the Regional History Fair held at Northern Illinois University. For additional information, call the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency Office of Educational Services at 217/785-7958, FAX 217/785-7937. 

Northern Regional History Fair
More than 400 middle school and high school students from the northern Illinois area annually participate in the Northern Regional History Fair held at Northern Illinois University's Holmes Student Center in DeKalb, IL. The fairs are normally held on the first Saturday of March. Students who have researched a topic or problem of Illinois history will display exhibits, present research papers, or perform original skits to demonstrate what they have learned. 

Judging of Entries
All entries are evaluated by three judges and those rated superior will advance to the state history fair in Springfield. More than 80 community leaders serve as judges, including a number of state and local elected officials. Student projects and performances are judged in the morning on the day of the fair, while papers are evaluated beforehand. In the afternoon, the public is invited to the Holmes Student Center to view the student exhibits, models, media presentations, and superior papers. 

Illinois History Exposition Awards and Scholarships
Superior, Exellent, and Good awards are given at both the Illinois History regionals and the Illinois History Exposition. Students also receive written evaluations from the judges.

The Governor's Award is given by the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency to the school judged to have done the most to advance the study of Illinois and local history, both in the classroom and in the community. 

Research and Writing Awards are given to 14 papers published in the Illinois History magazine during the school year. 

The Verna Ross Orndorff Award is given to the best paper published in the February issue of Illinois History magazine that is devoted to some aspect of Illinois and the Civil War, often focusing on Abraham Lincoln exclusively.

Illinois College Scholarships are awarded to two high school students who write the best research paper on a selected topic. 

Sponsors
The NIU Department of History, the DeKalb County Historical and Geneological Society, the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences External Programming, and the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency. 

Some schools that have participated in the past include: 

• Kings Consolidated, Kings 
• Pearl City Junior High, Pearl City 
• Forest Preserve Homeschool, Kankakee 
• River Ridge High School, Elizabeth 
• Dimmick CCSD, LaSalle 
• Appleton School, DeKalb 
• Heritage School, Rockford 
• Hiawatha School, Kirkland 
• Holy Family School, Oglesby 
• Eisenhower Middle School, Rockford 
• Ladd Community Consolidated, Rockford 
• Oglesby-Washington, Oglesby 
• St. Thomas More, Elgin 
• McNair Middle School, Winnebago 
• Challand Middle School, Sterling 
• Harmony Hill School, DeKalb 
• LaSalle Catholic, LaSalle 
• Oregon High School, Oregon 
• Sonshine Academy Homeschool, Rockford 
• Saint's Peter and Paul, Cary 
• Holy Angels, Aurora 
• Rockridge High School, Taylor Ridge 
• Central High School, Burlington 
• Huntley Middle School, DeKalb 
• Maplewood Christian School, Rochelle 
• Lincoln Middle School, Rockford