Augusta Student's History Project Featured in the Smithsonian

Monday, June 21st, 2021 -- 8:00 AM

(Eau Claire Leader Telegram) An Augusta charter school student is receiving national attention for her history research project.

According to the Eau Claire Leader Telegram, an exhibit researched and created by 11th-grader Madelyn Davis is one of 51 nationwide and the only one from Wisconsin featured in an online showcase that debuted Tuesday via the Smithsonian Learning Lab.

Davis attended Wildlands Science Research School, a charter school in the Augusta school district. The projects selected for the Smithsonian exhibit were created for the 2021 National History Day, a competition that attracts middle and high school students from the Chippewa Valley and across the nation.

Many of the featured projects, picked by NHD state coordinators, addressed topics relevant to their own states’ or local communities’ histories. The exhibits also reflect the 2021 NHD theme “Communication in History: The Key to Understanding.”

Davis’ project focuses on Milwaukee civil rights activist Vel Phillips, the first African American woman to graduate from the UW–Madison law school, win a seat on Milwaukee’s City Council, become a judge and be elected secretary of state of Wisconsin.

Phillips successfully led a six-year fight for a fair housing law that enabled Blacks to get housing anywhere in Milwaukee and not just in the poorest area, known as the Inner Core.

Feel free to contact us with questions and/or comments.