March 13, 2015—The Global Peacebuilding Center awarded the U.S. Institute of Peace Special Award to two remarkable student projects at the Virginia District Five National History Day Competition last Saturday. The 2015 National History Day competition challenges students to study the “Leadership & Legacy” of a historical event or person. The U.S. Institute of Peace Special Award was presented to one middle school and one high school student whose National History Day projects showcased the U.S.’s leadership and legacy in promoting peace at the international level.

Nearly twenty different student projects—ranging from academic papers, documentaries, websites, and exhibitions—competed for the U.S. Institute of Peace Special Award, making it one of the most highly contested special awards at the district-level competition. Of the myriad projects that qualified for the prize, two were particularly outstanding:

Kailyn Noble, a middle school student who is homeschooled, created a website on George C. Marshall’s leadership and legacy in crafting and executing the European Recovery Program (ERP), better known as The Marshall Plan, in the aftermath of World War II. As Noble’s project explains, the ERP helped prevent further violence throughout Europe by offering immediate assistance and economic relief that helped reestablish stability across the continent.

Marie Laverdiere, a public high school student, created an exhibition on Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev’s leadership in ending the Cold War and staving off the threat of nuclear warfare between the United States and Russia. Laverdiere’s project highlighted the diplomatic relationship that developed between Reagan and Gorbachev and the use of negotiation to prevent violent conflict.

These projects underscore the rich, yet often understudied, historical record of peace that continues to have a lasting impact today. The Global Peacebuilding Center, which teaches young people how conflicts are resolved, peace is achieved, and how youth can make a difference, provides resources to students and educators that support their education and empowerment as peacebuilders. As Kailyn and Marie know well, history shows that peacebuilding can be possible and that, whether making history or studying it, there are many ways to be a peacebuilder.