We The Future Middle School Scholarship

Sign up for the contest online.

IMPORTANT: Submissions must be entirely the original work of the students, without any assistance of artificial intelligence (AI). Entries will be analyzed by third party software.

Parent/Guardian must read “Constituting America’s Privacy Policy Guidelines and Notice to Parents,” approve of student entering, “check” parent statement on online form & sign hard copy contest entry form.

Middle School Students may submit: Essay, STEM, Song, or PSA. All entries that utilize copyrighted music, film clips, or photos MUST obtain the proper licensing permissions IN ADVANCE of submitting the entry, in order to be considered.

Submissions due no later than May 31, 2024, through the online portal on this site. See Official Rules Section III for complete submission instructions.

The winner will also be invited to attend the Winner Mentor Trip tentatively scheduled for September 2025 (all costs fully covered).

Essay:

Please choose from the following prompts.

Option 1: Write a 500-700 word essay on the different powers vested in our three branches of government and why checks and balances, as guaranteed by our Constitution, is vital to the preservation of our government. Are there examples (recent or historical) of violations of these checks and balances?

Option 2: Recognizing our form of government is a Republic, write a 500-700 word essay on how our First Amendment (RAPPS: Religion, Assembly, Press, Petition, Speech) rights enable the citizens to influence the laws of our country or initiate a constitutional amendment and, in so doing, prevent the dissolution of the Republic in the ways that have affected other nations in the past (e.g. violent rebellion/uprising or coup d’etat).” Essay entry may be mailed or submitted electronically, but MUST include student’s name, age, and grade on every page of the essay. If mailing, the essay and entry form must be included. See Official Rules Section III for details.

STEM project: Get a pulse on what your peers know about the Constitution! Create an online quiz or website, design a chatbot, a smart-phone app containing information on the U.S. Constitution, or conduct a survey or focus group. Focus groups or surveys must poll twenty or more of your peers; online quizzes and websites must be completed/viewed by at least fifteen people and submission must include a report of results; smartphone apps must be downloaded and tested by fifteen people and submission must include a report of results. Please include two paragraphs as to how you would market your project. See Official Rules for Details.

Song:

Please choose from one of the following prompts below.

• The Relevancy of the U.S. Constitution. This could include:
  • The significance and necessity of the U.S. Constitution, highlighting how it has protected our freedom throughout our history and why we need it in the future.
  • What the Constitution Means to Me.
  • Religious Freedom.

The song must be an original pop, country, rock, or other popular genre song composition with lyrics and music written by the student, no longer than 3:20. Song submissions should be uploaded to YouTube (640 x 360 minimum, HD preferred) or Vimeo (download enabled) and must include a video recording of the performance or a still photo with audio in the background. The song title must be in the title of the uploaded video and the song lyrics must be in the description of the video. See Official Rules Section III for details.

PSA:

The PSA subject is: Please a commercial suitable for airing on radio or TV that is no longer than 25 seconds, choosing one of the following prompts.

1. Why citizens should know their Constitution?
2. Why are civil civic conversations important in our society today?

Submissions should be uploaded to YouTube (640 x 360 minimum, HD preferred) or Vimeo (download enabled). The first line of the video description in the online submission must read: Submitted to Constituting America’s We The Future 2024 Contest www.constitutingamerica.org. The following must be submitted electronically through the online portal on this site: Entry permission form; YouTube or Vimeo link; script. Please include your name, age, and grade on all pages of the entry package.

The above rules are a summary only. Please consult official rules for complete instructions.