The Illinois State Museum is seeking judges and volunteers for the student Illinois History Day competition May 1 at the Bank of Springfield Center in Springfield. Illinois History Day judges are tasked with evaluating student projects and determining which students advance to the next level of competition. Judges are not required to have a degree in history but must possess a willingness to give positive, constructive and useable feedback to student competitors. Illinois History Day is a project-based learning program designed to take students in sixth through 12th grades on a journey through research, analysis, and discovery. Students conduct in-depth research on a topic of their choosing to prove their historical argument. Research is presented in the form of an exhibit, documentary, website, research paper or live performance. Students present their project at one of four regional competitions across the state with a chance to compete at the Illinois History Day state contest in Springfield. Winners of that competition will get a chance to compete at the National History Day Contest in Washington, D.C., in June. The 2025 competition theme is rights and responsibilities in history. Students will research and explain the rights and responsibilities found within their topic. Interested judges and volunteers should contact Illinois History Day state coordinator Laura Mitchelle at laura.mitchelle@illinois.gov.