Hoover Institution (Stanford, CA) — The Hoover Institution’s History Lab is launching the History Skills Academy, a summer program for high school students meant to introduce new methods, sources, and skills for budding historians looking to craft excellent, potentially publishable historical research papers.
During summer 2025, Hoover will host the first two-week program, in which up to twenty-four students will have the opportunity to learn best practices of historical research and use of evidence, along with strong writing methods. They will utilize the world-renowned collections of the Hoover Institution’s Library & Archives as well as Stanford’s Cecil B. Green Library whiledoing so.
“When afforded the opportunity, students can do amazing things, producing the highest quality work, stretching their impressive abilities to reach the next level—and then, the one beyond that,” explained Stephen Kotkin, Hoover History Lab director and Kleinheinz Senior Fellow at Hoover.
To implement this initiative, the Hoover History Lab is partnering with The Concord Review(TCR), publishers of America’s only journal for exceptional historical research papers written by high school students. TCR, an experienced operator of in-person history camps for high school students, will provide some of its trained teachers and well-developed curriculum to combine with Hoover for this program.
During the two weeks, students will be expected to explore unique primary sources and develop a plan to complete a 4,000-to-8,000-word research paper in the months following completion of the program. They will also have the opportunity to submit their finished papers for possible publication in a future issue of TCR.
Any historical topic may be proposed for the student research project, in line with Hoover’s commitment to academic freedom. Students should ideally start the program prepared with a research topic in mind, along with planned initial sources of research. Some refinement of proposed topics is to be expected in light of research finds.
Students can choose to stay on Stanford’s campus, with TCR teachers supervising students in Stanford’s dorms and meals served in dining halls or catered at their classroom. Local students can also opt to commute to campus.
Classes are scheduled from 9 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. on weekdays, from Monday, July 21, to Friday, August 1, 2025.
Interested students are encouraged to apply as early as possible. The early application deadline is December 31, 2024, and the final application deadline is February 28, 2025.
You can learn more here.
