Young Historians Conference

The Young Historians Conference, started by Dr. Karen Hoppes, Challenge Program History instructor at Lakeridge High School, is an annual event co-sponsored by Portland State University's Challenge Program and History Department.

High school students from Challenge History classes submit research papers to a jury selected by the History Department. These papers are scored and up to 40 are accepted to be presented at the Conference, which is held in Spring at PSU.

Students present their research papers in concurrent sessions organized by theme; sessions are attended by peers, teachers, parents, and other interested guests. Faculty Commentators from the History Department moderate and facilitate discussion following the presentations. A History Faculty member gives a brief address at the lunch, which is held in the SMSU Ballroom.

The Young Historians Conference is a powerful and authentic experience for young History scholars in our high schools, celebrating their scholarship, and providing a professional forum for dialog and feedback. Our students tell us in our annual surveys that this conference is one of the most significant ways they connect to PSU and to a college experience, while still in high school.