Local Chicago 8th Graders Advance to International History Fair Finals at University of Maryland with Compelling Project about Anne Frank

(Chicago) – Local 8th grade students Hannah Pollack and Kaelyn Dahlquist have advanced through multiple rounds of competition in the History Fair to secure a place in the international competition at the University of Maryland July 9-13, 2024, with their compelling and timely History Fair project focused on Anne Frank and her story.

Hannah, one of a few Jewish students in her 8th grade class from Catherine Cook School, also partnered with student Kaelyn Dahquist on their project called “The Products of My Pen” How a Diary Revealed the Unseen Impacts of Genocide. They meticulously and accurately recreated Anne Frank’s desk and told her story through diary entries (photo attached.) The most recent round (State) was critiqued by two judges, one of whom didn’t know who Anne Frank was, a reminder of the fading memory of humanity’s darkest chapters.

Throughout the competition, the students’ project has received recognition and advanced from the school round through metro, state, and now onto the international competition. Estimates are that more than 10,000 Illinois students participate in the History Fair and only 2 projects per category advance to internationals.