The National Constitution Bee is a project of The Star News Education Foundation
CONGRATULATIONS
National Constitution Bee 2022
Grand Champion Matthew Feragola
BRENTWOOD, Tennessee – Murfreesboro Central Magnet School student Matthew Feragola won the 2022 National Constitution Bee held in Brentwood, Tennessee on Saturday October 22.
Feragola, a senior, earned a $10,000 scholarship from the Star News Education Foundation, a non-profit organization established by the management team of Star News Digital Media, Inc., which owns and operates The Tennessee Star.
Reagan Schmicker, a freshman at Brentwood High School, was the runner-up and earned a $5,000 educational scholarship for her second place finish.
Johan Gigme, a senior at Ravenwood High School, finished in third place and earned a $2,500 educational scholarship.
The event was the sixth annual National Constitution Bee, which was first held in 2017. The Star News Education Foundation's Founder and Chairman Michael Patrick Leahy was the event's emcee. Tennessee entrepreneur and one of the original organizers of the Tea Party movement, Mark Skoda, served as the 2022 National Constitution Bee judge.
Eighteen students participated in the sixth annual National Constitution Bee, which consists of several elimination rounds of multiple choice questions, an essay round of seven essay finalists which the event judge narrows down to three finalists, and a lightning final round where the champion is determined. Students from Tennessee, Texas, North Carolina, Illinois, and Florida participated in this year's event, which is open to students from anywhere in the country.
Read more about 2022 The National Constitution Bee here.
AS SEEN ON…
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.
In 2021, Braeden Farley – returning competitor and younger brother of the 2017 Constitution Bee Grand Champion – took the top prize of a $10,000 education scholarship. Farley edged his fellow 21 contestants, including returning finalist Gianna Ross, for the title of National Constitution Bee Grand Champion for 2021.
Senior Matthew Feragola bested fellow returning challengers Reagan Schmicker and Gianna Ross to take home the Grand Championship scholarship prize of 10,000 in the 2022 National Constitution Bee held October 21.
The next National Constitution Bee will be held at Spring Hill Suites by Marriott in Brentwood, TN on October 21, 2023.
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
Requirements to receive funds from your educational scholarship
1. All educational scholarship winners will receive a check in their name for 10 percent of the amount of their educational scholarship on the day of the competition
2. All educational scholarship winners will be required to submit a one page description of their proposed use of scholarship via mail or email to the foundation, to be received by December 31, 2023.
This description should include:
a. how the funds will be spent
i. for college tuition in academic year 2024-2025
ii. for high school tuition in academic year 2024-2025
iii. for deposit in an educational savings account to be used for college tuition
iv. other educational course
b. the name of the institution or organization to whom the funds shall be paid and when
c. a description of how these funds will advance your educational goals
d. your name, address, and social security number
3. Upon receipt of this one page description, the Foundation will disburse the remaining 90 percent of the educational scholarship prior to January 31, 2024
The National Constitution Bee 2023 will be held in Brentwood, Tennessee. It will be limited to a total of 50 confirmed competitors.
LOCATION DETAILS
The 2023 National Competition Bee will be held October 21 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 $2,500, 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 2023 National Constitution Bee program.
For details on how to apply for those grants email us at mleahy@
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 for the 2023 National Constitution Bee.
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, 2023 in order to give another student the chance to compete.
The National Constitution Bee 2023 is limited to the first 50 contestants to confirm their intent to compete – in person – in October 2023 in Brentwood, Tennessee.