A group of 24 high school students from various countries attended the Hoover History Skills Academy at the Hoover Institution in late July 2025. The program, described as an accelerated summer session, was designed to teach participants how to design, research, and write historical research papers using primary sources from the Hoover Library & Archives.
The Academy was organized by the Hoover History Lab in partnership with The Concord Review (TCR), which publishes a journal featuring historical research papers by high school students. TCR selected experienced secondary-school teachers for this session. The program aimed to provide students with exposure to archival materials such as original letters, diaries, newspapers, and war medals.
Students were chosen through a competitive process from 115 applicants worldwide. Both local day-students and international boarding students participated. Each student proposed their own research topic before arrival and reserved specific primary sources for study at the archives.
Hoover archivists conducted training sessions on handling archival materials before allowing students access to the Reading Room for individual research. According to post-event surveys, many students considered their time in the archives a highlight of the experience. One student said, “We were able to access tremendous amounts of sources for our research, especially for the primary sources.” Another added, “Now that I know how to do it, it will be easier for me to go [to archives] in the future.”
TCR instructors also noted positive outcomes from teaching in an environment with direct access to rare resources. Jesse Berrett, a TCR instructor, said: “This was the dream of what school can be—the opportunity to conduct sustained one-on-one conversations with smart, committed students who are burning to run to the archives. Our students not only had expert colleagues to guide them, but they also had a beautiful setting full of talented scholars and librarians eager to point the students to ever more resources.”
During two weeks of academic classes and workshops, students refined their topics and developed outlines for projects they will continue working on over several months. Some may submit their completed work for possible publication in TCR’s journal.
Guest speakers included Stephen Kotkin, Kleinheinz Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution and director of the program; Eric Wakin, deputy director of the Hoover Institution; and Ria Roy, Hoover Kleinheinz Fellow. Students reported that these sessions deepened their understanding of historical scholarship and archival work. “[Professor Kotkin] seems to really care about the next generation of scholars,” commented one student, “ensuring that we are well equipped for success.” Roy’s discussion on oral history inspired some participants “to seek and stop the injustices in the world.”
Following positive feedback from participants, organizers plan to hold future iterations annually and are considering expanding access through digitized documents. More information is expected by October 2026.
For further details about similar programs or visiting opportunities at Stanford’s Hoover Library & Archives: https://www.hoover.org/library-archives/visit
