The Library of Congress has established a new prize as part of National History Day to encourage students to study discovery and exploration through the ages. The Library of Congress "Discovery or Exploration in History Prize" will be awarded at a special ceremony on the campus of the University of Maryland at College Park at 8:30 a.m. on June 13, 2013.

Sponsored by the Elizabeth Ridgway Fund from the Library of Congress, this $1,000 prize is awarded in the junior division (grades 6-8) of the National History Day competition for an outstanding project in any category on American or international discovery or exploration. The Elizabeth Ridgway Fund was established in memory of the late director of Educational Outreach at the Library to honor her passion for history, students, education and the Library of Congress.

National History Day is a national year-long academic program focused on historical research for students in grades 6-12. Each year, more than half a million students chose historical topics related to a theme and conduct extensive primary and secondary research to prepare original papers, websites, exhibits, performances and documentaries for entry into local, state and national History Day competitions. The program culminates in the national contest, held each June at the University of Maryland.

For information on National History Day, the annual contest and all available prizes, visit the National History Day website at www.nhd.org.

The prize honoring Ridgway joins another Library-related National History Day award, the Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers Prize, sponsored by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and awarded in both the junior and senior divisions to an outstanding entry in any category that utilizes the newspaper resources that are available on the Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers website (chroniclingamerica.loc.gov) hosted by the Library and co-sponsored by NEH.

The Library of Congress, the nation’s oldest federal cultural institution, is the world’s pre-eminent reservoir of knowledge, providing unparalleled integrated resources to Congress and the American people. The Library serves the public, scholars, Members of Congress and their staffs—all of whom seek information, understanding and inspiration. Many of the Library’s resources and treasures may also be accessed through the Library’s website at www.loc.gov.

To contribute to the ongoing support of the prize. visit the Library's support page.