Education Department Launches ‘Presidential 1776 Award’ to Promote Civics Education
The U.S. Department of Education (ED) on Monday announced the creation of the Presidential 1776 Award, a national competition meant to promote civic knowledge ahead of America’s Semiquincentennial – the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.
The award will recognize “exceptional student knowledge of the American founding,” the ED shared in a press release. The award program “establishes a national scholarship contest that evaluates students’ understanding of civics and the principles that shaped the United States.”
Participating high school students “will compete in three rounds of multiple-choice and verbal examinations” being developed by the James Madison Memorial Fellowship Foundation.
The national finals will be held in Washington, D.C. in June 2026, with three winners receiving scholarships totaling $250,000.
“What better way to get our students excited about learning more of our nation’s deep and rich history than a friendly competition meant to challenge high schoolers to show off their knowledge of our great nation’s founding ideals?” U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said in a statement.
The ED explained how the competition will unfold:
- In round one, students take The Impossible Civics Test, an online, timed, electronically proctored multiple-choice exam. Students have 90 minutes to answer up to 4000 randomized civics and founding history questions in three 30-minute sections of increasing difficulty. Four finalists from each state are selected.
- In round two, the finalists from each state advance to five regional semifinals, which consist of short answer verbal competitions held simultaneously across the country. The top four students from each region move on to the national final.
- In round three, students will answer short answer verbal questions and will be awarded a point for each correct answer. The top three winners receive scholarships of up to $150,000.
“As we prepare to celebrate America’s 250th birthday, this competition is an opportunity for young people to push themselves, learn our history, and take pride in the principles that unite us,” Secretary McMahon added.
“I am grateful to the James Madison Memorial Fellowship Foundation and all of the educators, partners, and families who are helping to make this effort possible. Game on!”
The ED also shared information about the competition on its social media pages.
The competition comes at an important time when American’s civic knowledge seems to be increasing.
A survey released on Constitution Day by the Annenberg Public Policy Center found that more than two-thirds of U.S. adults (70%) can name all three branches of government, compared to just 65% last year. Most Americans, however, can name only one of the five rights guaranteed under the First Amendment – the freedom of speech.
The Presidential 1776 Award is just one of the ED’s initiatives to celebrate America’s 250th birthday.
Secretary McMahon’s other Education 250 initiatives include the History Rocks: Trail to Independence Tour, in which the secretary is visiting all 50 states in the approximate order in which they joined the Union; and the America 250 Civics Education Coalition, made up of over 50 organizations, which will host multiple events in 2026 “inspiring citizens to reflect on America’s story” and “deepen their understanding of civic responsibility.”
The ED urged Americans to learn more about the Presidential 1776 Award and sign up by visiting www.presidential1776award.org. Interested individuals can sign up for the contest newsletter to get information and instructions when the registration opens on Feb. 1, 2026.
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Faith Development and Homeschooling
Constitution Day Survey Finds Americans’ Civic Knowledge Increasing
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Photo from Getty Images.
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