Chicago non-profit

The Chicago Metro History Education Center (CMHEC) is a nonprofit educational organization that aims to spark students' interest in the study of history, help them build high-level thinking skills, engage them in civic life, and foster their intellectual self confidence. CMHEC’s signature program is the Chicago Metro History Fair, a yearlong series of activities highlighted by an annual competition in which local students present research projects on topics related to Chicago history. CMHEC programs emphasize inquiry- and project-based approaches to history education and include three core activities: a) the annual History Fair for students in grades 6 through 12, b) professional development workshops for history and social science teachers, and c) the development of history-related educational and curriculum materials. Each year CMHEC serves thousands of students and hundreds of teachers, from scores of area schools. Students spend two-to-six months researching primary and secondary sources and developing their research projects, then they present their findings as research papers, exhibits, documentaries, live performances, and web sites. Participation in History Fair helps students improve their reading, writing, thinking, and presentation skills. CMHEC's professional development workshops and curriculum materials emphasize making history come alive through the use of primary sources and developing the inquiry approach to learning while augmenting basic student skills. CMHEC serves students, teachers, and schools in the City of Chicago and suburban Cook, Lake, Kane, and DuPage counties. More than 500 people volunteer each year to serve as judges at History Fair competitions. CMHEC has benefited from long-term support from several sponsoring institutions: the Newberry Library, the Chicago Public Library, the Chicago History Museum, the University of Illinois at Chicago, and the Illinois Humanities Council as well as numerous area foundations and corporations.