For the past 12 years, Junior Scholastic®, a social studies magazine for students in grades 6–8, has hosted the Eyewitness to History contest, which encourages students to connect with members of their community and interview people who have experienced historic events in person.
This year’s grand-prize winner is seventh-grader Micah Greenblatt from Landon School in Bethesda, Maryland.
Micah interviewed a family acquaintance, Parisa Salehi, about her childhood experiences during and after the 1978-1979 Iranian Revolution, when civilian protests against the government led to a radical change in leadership.
Micah’s entry, “Revolution in Iran,” details Salehi’s childhood memories of growing up at the height of the revolution, when her family experienced persecution. Salehi describes daily struggles, from risking arrest for walking the family dog to playing a then-illegal game of chess. Micah’s insightful questions reveal how people like Salehi were and are affected by political uprisings in their home countries, and, in turn, how they learn how to manage difficult situations later in life. For his grand-prize-winning entry, Micah and his teacher, J.R. Bordley, will each receive $250. You can read Micah’s interview with Salehi in the May 2023 issue of Junior Scholastic and online, here.
You can also check out this video from the Landon School!
Junior Scholastic also selected two runners-up from among the more than 180 entries to this year's Eyewitness to History contest. They are:
Violet Grondin, an eighth-grade student at Immaculate Conception School in Lowell, Massachusetts. Violet interviewed her grandfather, Dimitrios Polites, about his childhood in Nazi-occupied Greece during World War II. Her teacher is Leeann Plona. Violet will receive $50.
Greg Maendel, a seventh-grade student at the Woodcrest School in Rifton, New York. Greg interviewed his grandmother, Gill Barth, about her childhood experiences growing up in England during World War II. His teacher is Lisabeth Button. Greg will also receive $50.
Congratulations to Micah, Violet, Greg, their teachers, and all of this year’s contest participants and the interviewees who shared their powerful experiences. Stay tuned for the next Eyewitness to History contest in Junior Scholastic this coming fall.
