Today, the U.S. Department of Education (the Department) celebrates the success of the Presidential 1776 Award: The Ultimate Civics Showdown, with 1.63 million people tuning in to watch the national finals live on CBS, and even more viewers continuing to stream the special each day on Paramount+.
The primetime event, hosted by television host and entertainment personality Mario Lopez, brought together the brightest high school students from across the country to compete in a rigorous civics competition celebrating America’s founding and the principles that have made the United States the greatest nation in the world. The viewership for the Presidential 1776 Award underscores enthusiasm for American history and civics education.
The Presidential 1776 Award attracted more than twice CNN’s daily average audience and far exceeded the average viewership of many cable news programs. For comparison, MS NOW averages 655,000 viewers a day, while CNN averages even fewer at about 496,000.
“The numbers speak for themselves: the American people care far more about our nation’s history and the students that will lead us into the future than the lies and propaganda perpetrated by the fake news media,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon. “Our outstanding competitors’ passion for American history has inspired over a million people. Despite what many fringe radicals claim, America’s founding ideals and values stand firm, and they continue to unite us 250 years later.”
The Department congratulates the winners of the inaugural Presidential 1776 Award:
- Miriam Washut, Wyoming;
- Summer Brondstetter, Washington; and,
- Rowan Kozminski, Michigan
About the Presidential 1776 Award
The Presidential 1776 Award is a nationwide civics competition recognizing exceptional student knowledge of the American founding. The program establishes a national scholarship competition designed to promote civic literacy and celebrate academic excellence.
The Presidential 1776 Award competition is comprised of three stages:
- Round One: During the week of February 22 to 28, 2026, students competed in The Impossible Civics Test, an online, timed, electronically proctored multiple-choice exam. Four finalists from each state and territory advanced.
- Round Two: On May 2, 2026, 173 state finalists competed in one of five in-person regional semifinal competitions. During these oral competitions, students answered short-answer questions that tested their understanding of the Constitution, the American founding, and key moments in our nation’s history. The top four students from each region advanced to the National Final.
- Round Three: The National Final took place in Washington, D.C. on June 9, 2026. Students competed in an oral academic competition earning points for each correct answer. The top three finalists won a total of $250,000 in scholarship prizes.
Multiple-choice and oral examinations for all three rounds were developed independently by the James Madison Memorial Fellowship Foundation.
Background
The Presidential 1776 Award is one of the Department’s initiatives to celebrate America’s 250th birthday. The Department has also launched the History Rocks! Trail to Independence Tour in partnership with Freedom 250 and in coordination with the America 250 Civics Education Coalition – a national partnership that includes the America First Policy Institute, Turning Point USA, Hillsdale College, and more than 50 national and state organizations. This coalition is dedicated to advancing civic education and expanding opportunities for students to learn about the ideas, individuals, and events that define the American story.