STATE
The West Virginia Department of Education (WVDE) celebrates student excellence at the West Virginia State Social Studies Fair (WVSSSF) on April 11, 2025. The WVDE welcomed 540 students in Grades 3-12 representing 43 counties and 349 projects to the WVSSSF in Charleston, WV. Students earned their way to the WVSSSF as first-place winners at their school, county, and regional fairs.
Projects were critiqued based on a student-led oral presentation, research methods, theme, overall design, and an abstract. Of these featured projects, 26 Putnam County projects were presented with 10 places at the top of their categories.
Congratulations to all Putnam County students who participated in the 2025 WVSSF and the student projects that placed top in the state!
DIVISION II – MIDDLE SCHOOL
Anthropology, Group
Honorable Mention: John Deere Steel Plow and How It Affected the Midwest Culture
Macy Cunningham, Allison Gillispie, & Kristen Serna, George Washington Middle
Psychology, Individual
2nd Place: Healing Hooves - The Therapeutic Benefits of Horses
Matthew Spencer, George Washington Middle
Psychology, Group
3rd Place: PAWSitive Change
Terrence Wiseman & Macie Fisher, George Washington Middle
Sociology, Group
3rd Place: Edgar Allen Poe's Effects on Modern Society
Eli Conner, Hudson Dobbins, & Barrett Hardin, Winfield Middle
State & Local Studies, Individual
3rd Place: Harvest of Hardship
Carson Shock, George Washington Middle
U.S. History, Group
3rd Place: Blown Away
McKayli Parsons & McKenzi Parsons, George Washington Middle
DIVISION III – HIGH SCHOOL
Economics, Group
3rd Place: Hunting for Big Bucks: Hunting's Impact on West Virginia's Economy
Bailey Raynes & Ashtyn Johnson, Buffalo High School
Sociology, Group
3rd Place: Carbon Credits: The Ultimate Capture
Sarah Landers & Gabriel Moore, Buffalo High School
State & Local Studies, Individual
3rd Place: Can You Hear the Bugle? The Reintroduction of Elk in WV
Morgan Cobb, Buffalo High School
State & Local Studies, Group
2nd Place: Cutting Down Life: Logging's Impact on WV Wildlife
Christopher Blackshire & Wesley Mallett, Buffalo High School
Download a complete list of winners HERE.
REGION
On March 17, 2025, Putnam County Schools Social Studies Fair County Champions in Division II (Middle) and III (High) presented group and individual winning projects at the 2025 Region III Social Studies Fair competition. Congratulations to all 2025 Putnam regional participants and first-place regional winners advancing to the WV State Social Studies Fair in Charleston on April 11, 2025.
DIVISION II – MIDDLE SCHOOL
ANTHROPOLOGY: INDIVIDUAL
First Place: "Hunters & Gathers to Farmers"
Reagan Craig, George Washington Middle School*
ANTHROPOLOGY: GROUP
First Place: "John Deere Steel Plow & How It Affected the Midwest Culture"
Macy Cunningham, Allison Gillispie, & Kristen Serna, George Washington Middle School*
ECONOMICS: INDIVIDUAL
Second Place: "Harvesting Global Connections: The Impact of International Trade on US Agriculture"
Lauren Coburn, George Washington Middle School
ECONOMICS: GROUP
Second Place: "Milking the Market: The Economic Ripple of Nondairy Alternatives"
Aubrey Fleck & Kambree Young, George Washington Middle School
GEOGRAPHY: INDIVIDUAL
Second Place: "The New River, Making of a National Park"
Elliott Meadows, George Washington Middle School
GEOGRAPHY: GROUP
Second Place: "The American Corn Belt"
Levi Wilson, Landon Vaughan, & Austin Panaro, George Washington Middle School
POLITICAL SCIENCE: INDIVIDUAL
First Place: "Died, Divorced & Beheaded: Henry VIII & the Six Wives"
Briony Guidry, Winfield Middle School*
POLITICAL SCIENCE: GROUP
Third Place: "The American Farm Bill"
Wyatt Lawrence, Bentley Garrison, & Austin Mitchell, George Washington Middle School
SOCIOLOGY: INDIVIDUAL
First Place: "Harmonizing History: Music's Historical Influence Through Time"
Lillian White, Winfield Middle School*
SOCIOLOGY: GROUP
First Place: "Edgar Allan Poe's Effects on Modern Society"
Eli Conner, Hudson Dobbins, & Barrett Hardin, Winfield Middle School*
STATE & LOCAL STUDIES: INDIVIDUAL
First Place: "Harvest of Hardship"
Carson Shock, George Washington Middle School*
STATE & LOCAL STUDIES: GROUP
First Place: "WV Hunting Traditions"
Alyssa Grandbouche & Bryar Nunley, George Washington Middle School*
PSYCHOLOGY: INDIVIDUAL
First Place: "Healing Hooves: The Therapeutic Benefits of Horses"
Matthew Spencer, George Washington Middle School*
PSYCHOLOGY: GROUP
First Place: "PAWSitive Change"
Terrence Wiseman& Macie Fisher, George Washington Middle School*
US HISTORY: INDIVIDUAL
Second Place: "JFK: A Murder Mystery"
Michael Flannery, George Washington Middle School
US HISTORY: GROUP
First Place: "Blown Away"
McKayli Parsons& McKenzi Parsons, George Washington Middle School*
WORLD HISTORY: INDIVIDUAL
Second Place: "Survivors: Jewish Resistance to Hitler's Final Solution"
Eliana Johnson, Winfield Middle School
WORLD HISTORY: GROUP
Second Place: "European Witch Trials"
Emma Myrick, Kenzingtyn Safford, Leah Metheny, Giuliana Santangelo, & Georgia Smith, Hurricane Middle School
DIVISION III – HIGH SCHOOL
ANTHROPOLOGY: GROUP
Honorable Mention: "Ancestral Bonds: How Fish & Wildlife Sustain Native Cultures"
Brody Martin-Lewis & David Sayne, Buffalo High School
ECONOMIES: GROUP
First Place: "Hunting for Big Bucks: Hunting's Impact on West Virginia's Economy"
Ashtyn Johnson & Bailey Raynes, Buffalo High School*
PSYCHOLOGY: GROUP
Second Place: "Hunting for Hope"
Nick Gallo & Britton Hudson, Buffalo High School
SOCIOLOGY: GROUP
First Place: "Carbon Credits: The Ultimate Capture"
Sarah Landers & Gabriel Moore, Buffalo High School*
STATE & LOCAL STUDIES: INDIVIDUAL
First Place: "Can You Hear the Bugle? The Reintroduction of Elk in WV"
Morgan Cobb, Buffalo High School*
STATE & LOCAL STUDIES: GROUP
First Place: "Cutting Down Life: Logging's Impact on WV Wildlife"
Wesley Mallet & Christopher Blackshire, Buffalo High School*
US HISTORY: GROUP
Second Place: "Triggering Change: History of the NRA"
Kai Hatfield & Colton Conley, Buffalo High School
WORLD HISTORY: INDIVIDUAL
Second Place: "Balancing Act: Conservation Approaches' Impact on Wildlife Populations"
Harlee Gillispie, Buffalo High School
*Denotes Projects Advancing to States
COUNTY
On February 28, 2025, Putnam County Schools hosted the 2025 Division II (Middle) and III (High) Social Studies Fair (SSF) at Poca Middle School. Middle and High School students presented group and individual projects in nine categories to volunteer judges for an opportunity to represent Putnam County Schools and advance to the Region III Social Studies Fair on March 17, 2025, at the West Virginia Culture Center in Charleston.
DIVISION II – MIDDLE SCHOOL
ANTHROPOLOGY: INDIVIDUAL
First Place: "Hunters & Gathers to Farmers"
Reagan Craig, George Washington Middle School*
ANTHROPOLOGY: GROUP
First Place: "John Deere Steel Plow & How It Affected the Midwest Culture"
Macy Cunningham, Allison Gillispie, & Kristen Serna, George Washington Middle School*
Second Place: "Significance of Scotland's Medieval Clans & Tartans"
Alivia Hess & Persephone Lasure, Winfield Middle School
ECONOMICS: INDIVIDUAL
First Place: "Harvesting Global Connections: The Impact of International Trade on US Agriculture"
Lauren Coburn, George Washington Middle School*
ECONOMICS: GROUP
First Place: "Milking the Market: The Economic Ripple of Nondairy Alternatives"
Aubrey Fleck & Kambree Young, George Washington Middle School*
Second Place: "The Economic Impact of Video Games"
Noah Stacy, Nathaniel Bryant, & Eli Bailey, Poca Middle School
GEOGRAPHY: INDIVIDUAL
First Place: "The New River, Making of a National Park"
Elliott Meadows, George Washington Middle School*
GEOGRAPHY: GROUP
First Place: "The American Corn Belt"
Levi Wilson, Landon Vaughan, & Austin Panaro, George Washington Middle School*
Second Place: "Yellowstone"
Brenleigh Copley & Charlotte Meadows, Hurricane Middle School
Third Place: "The Northern Lights"
Macie Dean, Aubrey Dawson, & Hayden Petry, Poca Middle School
POLITICAL SCIENCE: INDIVIDUAL
First Place: "Died, Divorced & Beheaded: Henry VIII & the Six Wives"
Briony Guidry, Winfield Middle School*
POLITICAL SCIENCE: GROUP
First Place: "The American Farm Bill"
Wyatt Lawrence, Bentley Garrison, & Austin Mitchell, George Washington Middle School*
SOCIOLOGY: INDIVIDUAL
First Place: "Harmonizing History: Music's Historical Influence Through Time"
Lillian White, Winfield Middle School*
Second Place: "The Life of Amelia Earhart"
Paisley Mitchell, George Washington Middle School
SOCIOLOGY: GROUP
First Place: "Edgar Allan Poe's Effects on Modern Society"
Eli Conner, Hudson Dobbins, & Barrett Hardin, Winfield Middle School*
Second Place: "Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend (Softball)"
Rylee Caldwell, Madelyn Dye, & Brenley Hunt, Hurricane Middle School
STATE & LOCAL STUDIES: INDIVIDUAL
First Place: "Harvest of Hardship"
Carson Shock, George Washington Middle School*
Second Place: "West Virginia State University"
Aubree Feldhaus, Poca Middle School
STATE & LOCAL STUDIES: GROUP
First Place: "WV Hunting Traditions"
Alyssa Grandbouche & Bryar Nunley, George Washington Middle School*
PSYCHOLOGY: INDIVIDUAL
First Place: "Healing Hooves: The Therapeutic Benefits of Horses"
Matthew Spencer, George Washington Middle School*
Second Place: "To Know Yourself"
Tamara Rader, Winfield Middle School
Third Place: "Autism & Sensory Issues"
Crosby Short, Poca Middle School
PSYCHOLOGY: GROUP
First Place: "PAWSitive Change"
Terrence Wiseman& Macie Fisher, George Washington Middle School*
Second Place: "The Menendez Brothers: Guilty or Innocent?"
Natalie Bowles& Joslyn Massile, Winfield Middle School
Third Place: "Schizophrenia"
Lilah Rhodes, Zoe Johnson, & Khloe Wysong, Hurricane Middle School
Honorable Mention: "Study of American Sign Language"
Jessalyn Caruthers, McKinley Swann, & Kelley Buzzard, Poca Middle School
US HISTORY: INDIVIDUAL
First Place: "JFK: A Murder Mystery"
Michael Flannery, George Washington Middle School*
Second Place: "Stairwell B: The Miracle of Ladder Company 6"
Chesnee Gibson, Winfield Middle School
US HISTORY: GROUP
First Place: "Blown Away"
McKayli Parsons& McKenzi Parsons, George Washington Middle School*
Second Place: "The Roaring 20's"
Kellen White, Carrah Callihan, Katie Domer, Demi Bryant, & Ava Tardy, Hurricane Middle School
Third Place: "History of Baseball"
Josh Tinney & Anderson Leftwich, Poca Middle School
WORLD HISTORY: INDIVIDUAL
First Place: "Survivors: Jewish Resistance to Hitler's Final Solution"
Eliana Johnson, Winfield Middle School*
WORLD HISTORY: GROUP
First Place: "European Witch Trials"
Emma Myrick, Kenzingtyn Safford, Leah Metheny, Giuliana Santangelo, & Georgia Smith, Hurricane Middle School*
Second Place: "The Impact of World War I & World War II on Agriculture"
Brennon Grady, Colin Gray, & Logan Raynes, George Washington Middle School
Third Place: "The Titanic"
Amaya Gollihue, Sami Janey, & Leighton Faulkner, Poca Middle School
DIVISION III – HIGH SCHOOL
ANTHROPOLOGY: GROUP
First Place: "Ancestral Bonds: How Fish & Wildlife Sustain Native Cultures"
Brody Martin-Lewis & David Sayne, Buffalo High School*
ECONOMIES: GROUP
First Place: "Hunting for Big Bucks: Hunting's Impact on West Virginia's Economy"
Ashtyn Johnson & Bailey Raynes, Buffalo High School*
PSYCHOLOGY: GROUP
First Place: "Hunting for Hope"
Nick Gallo & Britton Hudson, Buffalo High School*
Runner-Up: "How Fear Affects Perception with the Amityville House"
Lucy Smith & Larson Barkey, Winfield High School
SOCIOLOGY: GROUP
First Place: "Carbon Credits: The Ultimate Capture"
Sarah Landers & Gabriel Moore, Buffalo High School*
STATE & LOCAL STUDIES: INDIVIDUAL
First Place: "Can You Hear the Bugle? The Reintroduction of Elk in WV"
Morgan Cobb, Buffalo High School*
STATE & LOCAL STUDIES: GROUP
First Place: "Cutting Down Life: Logging's Impact on WV Wildlife"
Wesley Mallet & Christopher Blackshire, Buffalo High School*
US HISTORY: GROUP
First Place: "Triggering Change: History of the NRA"
Kai Hatfield & Colton Conley, Buffalo High School*
WORLD HISTORY: INDIVIDUAL
First Place: "Balancing Act: Conservation Approaches' Impact on Wildlife Populations"
Harlee Gillispie, Buffalo High School*
*Denotes Projects Advancing to Regionals
PCS would like to give a very special thanks to our volunteer judges, social studies fair coordinators, Poca Middle School, Jordan Dotson, and PCTC Putnam Teacher Preparation Program, and our event partners, the Putnam Chamber of Commerce and Putnam County Libraries. Without the help of our coordinators and volunteers, the 2025 Putnam County Schools Social Studies Fair would not be possible. We are so grateful for your support and enthusiasm in honoring the academic achievements of our student participants.
Congratulations to all 2025 participants and our first-place county winners advancing to the next level of competition. Good luck at Regionals!