Put your historical thinking to the test.

Do you hoard National Geographic books in your room? Is your favorite site Wikipedia? Does a trip to the museum send happy tingles up your spine? If you responded yes to any of these questions, you have come to the right location.

International Academic Competitions is a non-profit organization that organizes quiz competitions for kids of all ages. They have science and math competitions, but it’s the history and geography ones that are particularly exceptional.

For history, the big competition is the History Bee, which quizzes you over general world history. However, there are multiple smaller events you can take part in, such as the US History Bee, the Citizenship Bee (mainly about US history and American citizenship), and the Humanities Bee (about the history of literature and the arts). You can also take written exams.

The bees involve a moderator and about 6 to 8 players in a room. A moderator reads a paragraph-style question like the one below:

In 1755, this man fought off troops at the Battle of Monogahela while suffering from dysentery. During his presidency, this man quelled the Whiskey Rebellion and was known for his farewell address that warned against the formation of political parties. He “crossed the Delaware” in the American Revolution, resulting in a victory at the Battle of Trenton. For the point, who is this first president of the United States?

Players ring in with their buzzers when they have an answer. It’s a lot of fun—think of this like Jeopardy but for kids.

You have to pass a regional contest. IAC is located across the US and in many different countries, so there will likely be an event in your area. You then proceed to the national contest in Orlando, Florida or Arlington, Virginia, depending on your age group.

The level of competition is quite high at these events, particularly if you are an older student. However, if you love learning, it is also extremely rewarding. IAC is essentially a sport—a mental sport.

• FormatFast-paced, buzzer-based quiz competition.
• PathwayAdvance from a regional contest to the national level.
• AnswerGeorge Washington.

The competition at NAQT is even more intense than IAC, as it is a middle and high school contest and seasoned competitors from IAC almost always land up there eventually.

If you are new to history and quizzing, do not compete in NAQT. Stick with IAC and try NAQT after a few years.

However, if you know A LOT about history or if you have competed in IAC for a few years, keep reading.

NAQT is known for its team competitions, or as they are called in the quiz community, “bowls.” In any given round, the questions span science, history, geography, math, and literature/humanities. Again, even though there are science and math questions in the rounds, NAQT attracts mainly history and geography buffs.

I’ll be honest—I am very new to NAQT. At the time of writing this, I haven’t even participated yet! However, I plan to form a team in high school. Stay tuned for my NAQT Chronicles, where I post updates on my NAQT journey. I hope it will be informative for anyone looking to start a team or join the contest themselves.

• FormatTeam-based quiz bowl competition.
• SubjectsScience, history, geography, math, and literature.
• Best forExperienced quizzers ready for intense competition.

You read the IAC and NAQT descriptions and decided memorizing facts was not for you. That’s OK! Enter National History Day, another competition that focuses on creating historical projects. NHD is arguably more accessible to the general population than the quiz competitions, because there is something for everyone. You can compete in one of five categories.

• Documentary
• Website
• Paper
• Exhibit
• Performance

See what I mean by “there’s something for everyone?” I like public speaking and enacting characters, so I’ve been competing in the Performance category for two years. My sister, on the other hand, enjoys video editing and working on Canva, so she’s going to try her hand at a documentary this year. You can also choose to work as an individual, or in a group.

Not only that, but there is also a broad theme each year that all projects must relate to. This year’s theme is “Innovation in History.” Again, because the theme is so broad, you can use it to fit your interests. My sister and I have begun brainstorming. She is thinking of doing something related to AI, and I was toying with the idea of performing the story of Piggly Wiggly, the world’s first self-service grocery store. They are so different, but both match our interests, and both fit under the category of innovation.

NHD is a great way to learn about history because the process itself debunks so many of the myths about the subject. Like I stated before, people sadly think history is stuffy and irrelevant. But creating an NHD project is a hands-on, creative process where you are the boss of your own topic. And at the end of the day, you can point to a documentary, website, performance, etc., and say “I did that!”