Four Herricks High School students have received multiple honors for a documentary that they collaborated on titled The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising: Courage Knows No Number. Aarya Agarwal, Abhinav Goyal, Aditya Lodha, and Prameet Shah were recently distinguished by the New York State Archives and Archives Partnership Trust with the 2019 Chodos Family Fund 2nd Place Award for Excellence in Student Research Using Historical Records. Through National History Day, they won a special award and all-expense-paid trip to Poland, where they were recognized by the Polish History Film Institute for their work on this project.
Under the guidance of teacher Melissa Jacobs, the students spent approximately eight months working after school and on weekends to compile research and execute the production of their film. They chose the topic based on the National History Day theme last year and incorporated archives both video and diaries as well as other sources. They contacted researchers and accessed many libraries including the New York Public Library.
“Their research encompassed about 100 pages of bibliography,” Ms. Jacobs said. “They have become experts on this topic and are wonderful ambassadors.”
The Archives recognized the students and Ms. Jacobs with a certificate and cash prize at the New York State Military Museum in Saratoga Springs.
“Their documentary was moving, dramatic, and based on a variety of primary sources,” the Archives stated in a press release.
The Polish History Film Institute recognition took place over the summer, when the students, Ms. Jacobs and Library Media Specialist/National History Day adviser Samantha Gerantabee spent a week in Poland and attended a film festival.
Submitted by Herricks Public Schools
