A national civics contest, the Presidential 1776 Award, has drawn 8,000 high school students competing for a scholarship worth up to $150,000. The contest, run by the Trump administration’s Education Department, aims to promote patriotism in young people as part of the country’s 250th birthday celebrations.

Contestants’ Mixed Feelings

Some contestants, like 16-year-old Ishant Jawali from Raleigh, North Carolina, have expressed nuanced reasons for participating, along with their feelings about the contest’s connections to President Donald Trump and the idea of patriotism itself. Jawali said, ‘I feel like it’s a bit of a loaded word, at least to me, like it’s hard to be patriotic… It’s hard to really understand what that means when there’s so many things that you disagree with the leaders of our government about.’

Other contestants, such as 17-year-old Summer Brondstetter from Seattle, see the contest as an opportunity to learn about the country’s history and principles. Brondstetter said, ‘This is not a political issue. This is an American issue… Everyone walking away from the competition knowing this is the greatest country of the world — why the Constitution works, why government exists — that is the most important gift in the world.’

Contest Details

The contest, which begins at the Kennedy Center, will be broadcast on CBS and includes a White House visit for the top three finishers. Contestants have spent hours preparing for the final round, studying subjects like key battles of the American Revolution and concepts in the Federalist Papers.

The Trump administration has emphasized civic education in schools, doling out $150 million in grant awards for nonprofits’ and universities’ civics and history programs. The Education Department has also launched the America 250 Civics Education Coalition, made up of groups that promote classical Christian education, school choice, and conservative policies.

Original reporting: KEYT (Ventura/Santa Barbara) — read the source article.