Sarah Steinke, State Regent, 2024-2026

Karen Meurer, Chairman

All Iowa Chapters are encouraged to conduct the American History Essay Contest, the Patriots of the American Revolution Contest, The American Revolution American History Video Contest (New This Year), Patriots of the American Revolution DAR High School Essay Contest, and the Excellence in American History DAR Award, each year. Don’t forget the 2024-2025 Women in American History Award.

Get the word out! The local newspaper and radio stations are a good way to do this.

American History Essay Contest Information!

1. All 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students in a public, private or parochial school, or those who are home schooled are eligible.
2. Essays are judged for historical accuracy, adherence to topic, organization of materials, interest, originality, spelling, grammar, punctuation and neatness.
3. A winner will be selected from each of the four grades to advance to the state level. The state winner from each grade will advance to the divisional level. The divisional winners will advance to the national level where the winners are announced. All National winners will receive a certificate, medal and a monetary reward.
4. The deadline for chapter winning essays to be delivered to the State American History chairperson is January 15, 2025. Chapters are responsible to set their deadlines for essays to be presented to them, but please be realistic, knowing it will take time and reflection to choose the best essays for your chapter submission. It is recommended that each chapter set their deadline date for the first of November.
5. NEW THIS YEAR -- All contest materials must be submitted electronically.
6. Electronic Contest Submission Form for the American History Essay: URL: https://www.dar.org/sites/default/files/members/darnet/forms/AHC-1009.pdf
   Email (.pdf only) your entire Chapter winner’s packet of information to the State Chair. Each chapter is responsible for ensuring that ALL attachments are provided. Upon delivery of an emailed entry, the state chair will respond with a receipt of delivery. The only email utilized is the State Chair email below. The Guidelines for Judges, found online at and in the National Information Packet (NIP) or at this URL: https://www.dar.org/sites/default/files/members/darnet/forms/AHC-1001.pdf and is to be used to score each essay and award points. Essays for each grade level with the highest points, will need to be sent on for further competition. PLEASE SUBMIT YOUR JUDGING SHEETS WITH YOUR CHAPTER SUBMISSIONS!
7. The Information for Chapters and School use can be found in the NIP or at this URL: https://www.dar.org/sites/default/files/members/darnet/forms/AHC-1000.pdf
8. Here is the link to the DAR Store for Certificates and Chapter Winner Medals: https://shop.dar.org/dar-store/kaw-committee-awards/kaw-american-history/
9. For premade Flyer Handouts visit the Educational Resources American History Essay Contest.
10. American History Contest Topic: In the 1770’s there was a movement of protest from the Colonists against the British due to taxes and laws. Along the eastern coast a growing number of patriots held “tea” parties. The Boston Tea Party was on December 16, 1773, and the Charlestown South Carolina Tea Party and the Chester Town Tea Party followed in 1774. In October 1774, 51 women in Edenton, North Carolina, decided to refuse to buy tea from the British because of their high taxes and laws. In 1775 women in Wilmington North Carolina, burned their tea for the same reasons. Imagine you are one of these women boldly participating in one of these Tea Parties in North Carolina. Give details of either the Edenton Tea Party or Wilmington Tea Party. Describe the tea party, and why you would choose to join them. Then explain if you think it, was a good decision.
    

2024-2025:  Patriots of the American Revolution DAR High School Essay Contest Information!

1. Students are encouraged to use primary sources (i.e., immediate, first-hand accounts such as letters, diaries, speeches or newspaper reports) for their research, lesser well-known figures are acceptable, but subjects must have been actual participants, i.e. not fictionalized.
2. The deadline for winning essays to be delivered to the State American History chairperson is January 15, 2025. Chapters are responsible to set their deadlines for essays to be presented to them, but please be realistic, knowing it will take time and reflection to choose the best essays for your chapter submission. It is recommended that each chapter set their deadline date for the first of November.
   
3. Each chapter is responsible for ensuring that ALL attachments are provided. Upon delivery of an emailed entry, the state chair will respond with a receipt of delivery. The only email utilized is the State Chair email below.
4. The Guidelines for Judges, found online at and in the National Information Packet (NIP) or at this URL: https://www.dar.org/sites/default/files/members/darnet/forms/AHC-1003.pdf and is to be used to score each essay and award points. Essays with the highest points will need to be sent on for further competition. PLEASE SUBMIT YOUR JUDGING SHEETS WITH YOUR CHAPTER SUBMISSIONS!
5. Contest Submission Form for Patriots of the American Revolution URL: https://www.dar.org/sites/default/files/members/darnet/forms/AHC-1009.pdf
6. The Information for Chapters and School use can be found in the NIP or at this URL: https://www.dar.org/sites/default/files/members/darnet/forms/AHC-1002.pdf
7. Here is the link to the DAR Store for Certificates and Chapter Winner Medals: https://shop.dar.org/dar-store/kaw-committee-awards/kaw-american-history/

Title for 2024-2025 Topic:

Select a figure from the era of the American Revolution (1773-1783). Discuss how he or she influenced the course of the American Revolution, who he or she was and his/her contribution to the founding of a new nation. Your figure may be any person, whether a well-known figure or an everyday man, woman, or child who supported the American Revolution in ways large or small.

American Revolution American History Video Contest For 2024-2025

1. Chapters are encouraged to promote and conduct the American History Video Contest. All grades 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 grade students in public, private, or parochial school, and those who are home schooled are eligible. This contest is conducted without regard to race, religion, sex, or national origin. An individual student may submit an entry directly to the DAR chapter in their own state, if their class or school is not participating. Video may be written and acted out by no more than two students.
2. Video Contest Question: In the 1770’s there was a movement of protest from the Colonists against the British due to taxes and laws. Along the eastern coast a growing number of patriots held “tea” parties. The Boston Tea Party was on December 16, 1773, and the Charlestown South Carolina Tea Party and the Chester Town Tea Party followed in 1774. In October 17 74, 51 women in Edenton, North Carolina, decided to refuse to buy tea from the British because of their high taxes and laws. In 1775 women in Wilmington North Carolina, burned their tea for the same reasons. Imagine you are one of these women boldly participating in one of these Tea Parties in North Carolina. Give details of either the Edenton Tea Party or Wilmington Tea Party. Describe the tea party, and why you would choose to join them. Then explain if you think it, was a good decision.
3. American History Video Electronic Contest Title Page (Grades 5-12) AHC-1012
4. American History Video Contest Judge’s Scoring Sheet AHC-1011 PLEASE SUBMIT YOUR JUDGING SHEETS WITH YOUR CHAPTER SUBMISSIONS!
5. American History Video Contest Information AHC-1010
6. American History Video Contest FlyerAHC-1013
7. Most students have access to reasonable cameras and other basic tech for creating pro-quality videos that can be sent via email. The world of video formats can be a little confusing! Technically they're referred to as video container formats because they package together audio, video, and (often) subtitles. Students are used to sharing on social media and using their phones to record, and they will likely be sending their videos as MP4, FLV, or WMV. There are other options of course, but those are the ones we'll receive the most. Different emails handle video files in different ways, but I'll use Gmail as an example. If the video is 25 megabytes or less, it can be sent in as a normal attachment. If not, the student will need to upload the video to Google Drive and then send a link to the video file. You can use either option on both the desktop version and the mobile version of Gmail. From the receiving end, you'll be able to click and play, save to your desktop or mobile device, send to judges, etc. This will be a learning curve for everyone, so if you have question, I can guarantee someone else will have it also! If you have any questions throughout the process, please let your state chairman know, and she will find the answer for you. Information partially taken from, Amy Pittman Lawson, National Vice Chair, American History Committee, Video Contest
8. The deadline for the winning video to be delivered to the State American History chairperson is January 15, 2025. It is recommended that each chapter set their deadline date for the first of November.

2024-2025 Women in American History

The emphasis of Women in American History is on the role of women, past and present, in American history. Chapters are encouraged to select a notable woman from their state or community to honor. March is officially "Women's History Month," so chapters may wish to use this occasion to acknowledge the outstanding contributions of the woman of their choice.

Choose a woman to honor for this recognition by taking into consideration women who have made a contribution or a difference in their communities. She could be a historical entity or currently alive and worthy of recognition. Look for women who are, or have been, intellectual, educational, social, religious, political, scientific, or cultural innovators. The woman or women being honored may be DAR members, prospective DAR members, or non-members. You may select more than one woman to honor.

It is especially recommended that your chapter focus one chapter function on your honoree so that special tribute can be paid to her. Chapters have had luncheons, teas, programs - literary and musical - at special locations to specifically honor their selected woman or women in American History. If alive, the honoree(s) should be invited to the chapter function so that special tribute can be paid.

Each chapter honoring a woman is asked to prepare a 100-word report about her, with a photo, if available. Use the form found at http://www.dar.org/sites/default/files/members/darnet/forms/AHC-1006.pdf. These reports may be sent throughout the year to the state chairman, but the final deadline is April 1, 2025. Here is the link to the DAR Store for Winners Certificates and Medals: https://shop.dar.org/dar-store/kaw-committee-awards/kaw-american-history/

Excellence in American History DAR Award

Chapters may recognize an outstanding student of American History. (REMINDER -- THIS IS SEPARATE FROM THE ESSAY CONTESTS!!) There is a Certificate of Award and a bronze medal to be awarded. The Chapter may determine eligibility and criteria for this award for any student in any grade. This does NOT need to come through this State Chairperson for verification, but is always appreciated if there is time. The link for the certificate is: https://shop.dar.org/dar-store/kaw-committee-awards/kaw-american-history/