The History Day competition spurred an Iowa high school student to delve into her great-grandfather’s work on the Federal Writers’ Project, and come out fascinated. Yashila Permeswaran gained recognition in her Le Mars middle school for the depth of the research she did in writing, “The WPA: Innovatively Providing Relief to Unemployed Writers Through the Federal Writers’ Project.” The theme of this year’s contest is “Innovation in History: Impact and Change.”
“I love learning about the 1930s because I think it is such an interesting time period,” Permeswaran told the Daily Sentinel. “I think it’s amazing all the people who were helped because the WPA gave them jobs. I also find it amazing all the history and culture that was recorded and preserved by the FWP.”
She interviewed her great-grandfather for the paper about his work with the WPA. Good luck, Yashila!