Library of Congress grant awarded to Dr. David Adams

Harding received a grant from the Library of Congress’ program Teaching Primary Sources for history professor Dr. David Adams’ project “How Teaching with Primary Sources Facilitates Rural and Underserved School Retention in National History Day Arkansas.” The grant’s $72,373.49 in funding began Oct. 1.

The project, developed and directed by Adams, is designed to visit schools across National History Day Arkansas Region 8 and present curriculum to rural and underserved students, teaching them valuable research and project development skills through the Library of Congress’ digital archive resources. Adams seeks to provide students with a valuable introduction to higher education, offering them first-hand experience of collegiate academic standards and gaining insights that will help them excel in their academic pursuits.

“I’m honored to see the efforts in Arkansas Region 8 recognized on a national platform by the Library of Congress,” said Adams. “With this grant, I fully believe we can bring students advanced educational resources that rival those available to the best funded public and private schools across the state and continue growing our region’s presence in the National History Day Arkansas program.” 

Funding from the Library of Congress will also be used to continue an after-school program for students in grades 6-12, and the grant will allow the Clifton L. Ganus Department of History and Political Science to pay student workers to assist children in their research and writing. Additionally, the grant will fund two professional development sessions, bringing teachers to campus and providing a stipend for those who utilize the project throughout the school year.  

“I’m proud of the servant-minded professors paving the way for student excellence in our state,” President Mike Williams said. “This is the second grant Harding has been awarded this year to advance teaching and education on campus and beyond — a firm reminder of the important role the University plays for students in Arkansas and how we can continue to open doors for this generation and the next.”

National History Day Arkansas is an academic program in the National History Day Network designed to engage elementary and secondary school students in research-based learning. Each year, more than 500,000 students choose a research topic and scour libraries, archives, museums, oral history interviews and historic sites to draw conclusions about their subject and its importance in American history. Students then compete at the local and state levels; top entries from each state go on to compete at the Kenneth E. Behring National Contest held at the University of Maryland. 

Learn more about the Clifton L. Ganus Sr. Department of History and Political Science at harding.edu/history or schedule a campus visit at harding.edu/visit.

For more information on National History Day Arkansas, visit arkansashistoryday.org.