The National Constitution Bee is a project of The Star News Education Foundation
CONGRATULATIONS
National Constitution Bee 2020
Grand Champion Jackson Carter
This year’s annual National Constitution Bee Grand Champion was senior high school student Jackson Carter. He received the $10,000 educational scholarship from the Star News Education Foundation. Carter plans on attending the University of Alabama, where he hopes to double major in communications studies and economics.
The event took place at the Spring Hill Suites by Marriott in Brentwood, Tennessee. A total of 23 students ranging from eighth to twelfth grade arrived to compete. The Tennessee Star Report host and Guide to the Constitution and the Bill of Rights for Secondary School Students co-author Michael Leahy served as the emcee.
The two judges were Guide to the Constitution and the Bill of Rights for Secondary School Students co-author Claudia Henneberry and Memphis Tea Party Founder and Chairman Mark Skoda.
Normally, the Constitution Bee is a series of competitions held in various states and culminating in the final competition for Grand Champion. Due to the pandemic, all Round One State-level Constitution Bees were canceled.
Although this year’s competition was consolidated into a single competition, some students traveled as far from Illinois and Michigan to vie for the Grand Champion title and $10,000 scholarship.
Read more about The National Constitution Bee 2020 here.
THE NATIONAL CONSTITUTION BEE
The National Constitution Bee program began as a project of The Tennessee Star in 2017. It became a project of Star News Digital Media, Inc. in August 2018 when it acquired The Tennessee Star. In December 2019, Star News Digital Media transferred its ownership of textbooks and the National Constitution Bee to the newly formed Star News Education Foundation.
The first Tennessee Star Constitution Bee was held in 2017 at Sycamore High School of Cheatham County Schools in Pleasant View, Tennessee, the second was held in 2018 at the Williamson County Administration Building in Franklin, Tennessee. The third was held in 2019 at Metro Christian Academy in Goodlettsville, Tennessee.
In late 2019, organizers announced The National Constitution Bee for 2020, which was ultimately held at the SpringHill Suites Marriott in Brentwood, Tennessee.
2017 Tennessee Star Constitution Bee winner Noah Farley took his trip to Washington, D.C. in October 2017, where he met with Federal Court of Appeals Judge Thomas Griffith.
2018 Tennessee Star Constitution Bee winner Cooper Moran took his trip to Washington, D.C. in July 2018, and was at the Capitol where he witnessed Supreme Court nominee, now Supreme Court Justice, Brett Kavanaugh’s first walk through the halls of the Capitol with Vice President Mike Pence on their way to meet the United States senators who would vote on his confirmation.
2019 Tennessee Star Constitution Bee winner Aryan Burns visited Washington, D.C. in the summer of 2019.
Despite a global pandemic, organizers held the first-ever National Constitution Bee in October, 2020. Students from across the nation gathered to compete for the $10,000 education scholarship, which was ultimately won by senior Jackson Carter.
The next National Constitution Bee will be held at Spring Hill Suites by Marriott in Brentwood, TN on October 16, 2021.
The first place winner will receive a $10,000 education scholarship
The second place winner will receive a $5,000 education scholarship
The third place winner will receive a $2,500 education scholarship
AND
The Preamble Challenge winners will each receive a $500 education scholarship
Each National Constitution Bee essay finalist will receive a $500 education scholarship
The National Constitution Bee Team MVP will receive a $1000 education scholarship
The National Constitution Bee 2021 will be held in Brentwood, Tennessee. It will be limited to a total of 50 confirmed competitors.
LOCATION DETAILS
The 2020 National Competition Bee will be held October 24 at the Spring Hill Suites by Marriott, located at 7109 Town Center Way, Brentwood, Tennessee.
Doors open at 8:00 am for registration and contestant check-in – the competition begins at 9:00 am.
RULES
The Constitution Bee competition consists of three parts with awards in several categories.
Part one is the Preamble Round, where contestants have the option to perform, present, or otherwise re-imagine the 52 words of the Preamble to the Constitution of the United States in 60 seconds. Prizes will be awarded in the following categories:
– Most Creative Preamble
– Most Persuasive Preamble
– Most Entertaining Preamble
The Preamble Round will be followed by the Elimination Round, in which contestants will be asked questions of fact organized by three levels of difficulty – easy, moderate, and difficult – and the field will be narrowed to the top six.
The final Championship Round will begin by narrowing the field of six to three based on the contestants three minute oral responses to essay questions at the very difficult level.
The Grand Champion, second place, and third place winner will then be determined by the contestants answers to questions of fact asked at the very-very difficult level.
At the end of the competition, all contestants will receive a certificate of participation. Awards will be presented for the three categories of the preamble round, as well as the overall first place grand prize winner, second place winner, and third place winner.
The individual grand champion prize package includes a college scholarship of $10,000, a trophy, and a letter of recommendation from the judging panel. The second place winner will receive a college scholarship of $5,000, a trophy, and a letter of recommendation; and the third place winner will receive a college scholarship of $1,500, a trophy, and a letter of recommendation.
GRANTS of Books for Teachers and Parents
The Star News Education Foundation is providing grants of 20 books each to up to 18 teachers and home school groups around the country who commit to using The Guide to the Constitution and Bill of Rights for Secondary School Students and prepare their students to compete in the 2020 National Constitution Bee program.
For details on how to apply for those grants email us at [email protected]
Students in grades 8 through 12 are eligible to participate in person. The questions and associated study guide are geared to students in grades 11 and 12, but ambitious students in grades 8, 9, and 10 are welcome as well.
The Star News Digital Media Guide to the Constitution and the Bill of Rights for Secondary School Students is a supplementary text that discusses the people and events leading up to the ratification of the Constitution of the United States. Students learn the personalities, policies, and some of the politics the framers dealt with as they designed what was as the time, a unique form of government. The story then continues through the first ten amendments, known as The Bill of Rights. The soft-cover book also contains chapter-end discussion topics, a robust appendix containing the complete text of the Constitution, The Bill of Rights, the remaining Amendments 11 – 27, a glossary, and sourced endnotes.
To read more about the Guide to the Constitution, click here.
Students from all states are encouraged to sign up now.
After signing up here, you can expect to receive additional information and updates as the competition date arrives. You may cancel your participation at any time, however we request that you do so by October 1, 2021 in order to give another student the chance to compete.
The National Constitution Bee 2021 is limited to the first 50 contestants to confirm their intent to compete – in person – on October 16 in Brentwood, Tennessee.