ORONO — For the third consecutive year, University of Maine in Orono hosted hundreds of students and teachers from around the state for the Maine National History Day competition April 9.

This year’s theme was “Exploration, Encounter, Exchange in History.”

Approximately 340 students from 35 middle and high schools were accompanied by their teachers, friends and families to showcase exhibits, papers, websites, documentaries and performances based on original student research at several locations on campus.

Maine National History Day is a partnership between the University of Maine Humanities Center and the Margaret Chase Smith Library, with support from the Maine Humanities Council and the Maine Historical Society.

National History Day is an academic program that began in 1980 to promote critical thinking, research and presentation skills through project-based learning for students of all abilities in grades 6 through 12. More than half a million students, working with thousand of teachers, participate in the national contest annually.

Top state winners will be eligible to compete in the national contest June 12-16 in Washington, D.C.

FMI: umaine.edu/history, john.m.taylor@maine.edu, 207-474-713, www.facebook.com/MaineNationalHistoryDay.