Virginia's Maggie L. Walker Governor's School Places First in Center for Civic Education's Nationwide Competition on the Constitution

We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution Engages Students Learned about the U.S. Constitution in Inspiring Academic Competition

WASHINGTON, April 26, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Students from Maggie L. Walker Governor's School for Government and International Studies placed first in the 36th annual We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution National Finals, an annual competition that brings together high school students from across the nation to answer difficult questions about the U.S. Constitution. Oregon's Grant High from Portland placed second and California's Foothill High School from Pleasanton placed third in the event, which was held at the National Conference Center in Leesburg, Virginia. Full results can be found on the Center for Civic Education's website.

"These students were truly impressive in their deep knowledge of the Constitution and the research and public speaking skills they so clearly demonstrated during the course of the National Finals," said Dr. Donna Phillips, Vice President and Chief Program Officer for the Center for Civic Education. "They came from across the nation to explain their opinions on the most difficult constitutional questions facing the United States and were challenged to demonstrate a deep understanding of our nation's founding documents."

More than 1,000 students participated in two of the Center for Civic Education's We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution national competitions on the U.S. Constitution on April 20-24. The We the People National Invitational was held online and the National Finals took place in person. The competition results were announced at an awards ceremony Monday evening before an in-person and online audience of more than 3,400 people.

The National Finals has taken place every year since the bicentennial of the Constitution in 1987. Fourteen middle school teams and 48 high school teams from 31 states and the District of Columbia participated in this year's events. Seventy-two judges volunteered their time at the National Finals and an additional 24 judges assisted with the National Invitational. The National Invitational, now in its 11th year, took place virtually on April 20 and 21 and was immediately followed by the in-person National Finals on April 22-24.

About the Center for Civic Education

The Center for Civic Education has long been recognized as a leader in providing civic education to K–12 students and adults, with its research-based curriculum reaching more than 42 million students and 440,000 educators in the United States and in more than 80 countries since 1965. Learn more about the Center for Civic Education at www.civiced.org. Information on the We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution National Finals can be found at https://civiced.org/national-finals-2023. Information on the National Invitational can be found at https://civiced.org/national-invitational-2023. Photos of students competing in the National Finals can be found here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/civiceducation/albums/72177720307622123/with/52775754370/.

Media contact:

 Mark Gage
Center for Civic Education
805-794-7650
[email protected]

SOURCE Center for Civic Education