A nationwide civics competition has named its latest round of teacher winners and extended its deadline, giving teachers more chances to win cash prizes for classroom lessons. The program is timed with the run-up to America's 250th anniversary. It is part of a broader effort to modernize how history and government are taught by rewarding teachers who connect founding principles to daily life.
What Happened
The Bill of Rights Institute and iCivics recently announced the latest winners of the Civic Star Challenge. The contest recognizes K-12 teachers who connect the Declaration of Independence to modern classrooms. Winners receive $5,000 each for lessons that focus on civic action, media literacy, and classroom debate.
The latest $5,000 winners are Dina Siembak of Schwarzkopf Elementary School in Florida, Payton Ashby of South Sevier Middle School in Utah, and Juan Moguel of Warren Early College High School in North Carolina. Patrick Walters of Joaquin Miller Middle School in California received a $1,250 honorable mention.
Organizers extended the competition through December 15, 2026, to allow more classrooms to participate. This extension adds three new entry periods and $50,000 in total prizes. Teachers can enter by submitting a short narrative of their lesson outcomes at the Civic Star Challenge website. Several philanthropic groups fund the contest, including Griffin Catalyst, the civic initiative of Citadel CEO Ken Griffin.
The Bigger Picture
This contest is part of a larger shift in social studies education. As the country prepares for its 250th anniversary, federal agencies are investing in updated classroom materials. The U.S. Departments of Education and Labor launched a nearly $20 million grant competition to fund history and civics instruction.
These federal funds are flowing into universities to train local teachers. Kansas State University secured a $1.8 million federal grant for its "Educating for the Republic" program, which provides K-12 teachers with primary source lesson plans and training in civil discourse. William & Mary used a $2.8 million Department of Education grant to bring teachers from all 50 states to historic sites for civic training.
Academic research shows that modern civics lessons are effective. A study by Patrick McSweeney and Diana Owen published by the American Political Science Association found that adding media literacy to elementary and middle school lessons improved both media literacy and broader civic skills.
For older students, schools are using educational games. SRI Education recently evaluated Agents of Influence, a digital spy game that teaches middle and high school students to analyze sources and spot misinformation. A pilot study published in Exaptive evaluated French ninth graders who used the Media Pathway platform and participated in newsroom internships. The study found that hands-on training closed the knowledge gap between students of different socioeconomic backgrounds.
What This Means for Families
For parents, these changes mean civics education is shifting away from memorizing names and dates. Modern classes teach children how to research claims, spot online bias, and participate in respectful debates. These skills help children handle online information. As we previously reported, introducing these ideas early helps children connect government to their daily lives.
Parents can also access free resources through these programs. For example, iCivics offers interactive games that families can play together to learn about the branches of government, constitutional rights, and community organizing.
What You Can Do
You can support these efforts by encouraging your child's history or social studies teacher to apply for the Civic Star Challenge before the December 15, 2026 deadline.
At home, you can replace recreational screen time with educational games on iCivics. These nonpartisan games let kids role-play as a judge, president, or community activist.
You can also practice media literacy during daily routines. Help your child analyze the news by asking about source credibility, identifying potential bias, and comparing how different outlets cover the same event.