While interest in history often grows later in life, engaging young people is essential to keeping our community’s stories alive. By helping students develop a stronger connection to the past, we strengthen their sense of place and civic pride. The Centre County Historical Society offers the Aspiring Historian Program, a community-focused initiative that encourages high school students to explore and share our local history. Participants have the opportunity to earn cash prizes and to see their work potentially published in the Centre County Encyclopedia of History & Culture, ensuring that new voices help shape how our shared history is remembered.
Supervised by co-chairs Dr. William Blair, retired history professor and member of the society’s Board of Governors, and Debrah Poveromo, retired history teacher at State High, the program stresses research in primary materials arising from either a required class project or independent work by a student with a teacher mentor.
This pilot program for 2026 involves State College, Bellefonte, and Penns Valley High Schools, with the hopes of opening the program to all Centre County high schools in the future.
Final projects can involve research papers, documentaries, or websites that demonstrate a facility with historical research: consultation of secondary and primary sources. Topics must focus on some aspect of Centre County history and include notes and bibliography.
The Historical Society will allocate to each participating school district a total cash prize of $1,000 to be divided among up to three top projects, typically $500 for first place, $300 for second, and $200 for third. Judging conducted by the co-chairs and selected members of the society’s board will take into account research that reveals a little-known part of Centre County’s past, including community institutions and key people.
Project guidelines and judging rubrics are available elsewhere on this website.
Submission deadline: June 1, 2026
Resources:
Program funding provided by the George S. MacManus Publishing Company and the Anne Hamilton Henszey Pyle and Kenneth B. Pyle Educational Fund for Regional Heritage Preservation of the Centre County Historical Society.