The U.S. Department of Education (the Department) celebrates the Presidential 1776 Award Regional Semifinals, which took place on Saturday, May 2nd, 2026.

The Presidential 1776 Award for Civics is a key part of the Department’s celebration of
America’s 250th birthday. All five Regional Semifinal competitions took place simultaneously at the following presidential sites:

Region 1: John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum – Boston, Massachusetts
Region 2: Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum – Atlanta, Georgia
Region 3: Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum – Grand Rapids, Michigan
Region 4: George W. Bush Presidential Center – Dallas, Texas
Region 5: Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum – Yorba Linda, California

Vedant Saran, from Lexington High school participated in the Region 1 Competition
representing Massachusetts.

More than 8,000 high school students from all 50 states and territories signed up for the
qualifying Impossible Civics Test. Students and families from across the country traveled to the five regional sites to support the 173 students competing in the Regional Semifinals. The competition brought together top-performing students to demonstrate their knowledge of the Constitution, the American founding, and key moments in our nation’s history.

About the Presidential 1776 Award

The Presidential 1776 Award is a nationwide competition recognizing exceptional student
knowledge of the American founding. This award program establishes a national scholarship contest that evaluates students’ civic understanding and the principles that shaped the United States. The Presidential 1776 Award competition unfolds in three distinct stages designed to identify and celebrate high school students’ knowledge of America’s founding:

● In Round One, held during the week of February 22 to 28, 2026, students competed in
The Impossible Civics Test, an online, timed, electronically proctored multiple-choice
exam. This served as the qualifying round, and four finalists from each state were
selected to advance to Round Two.
● In Round Two, held on May 2, 2026, the state finalists competed in one of five in-person
Regional Semifinal competitions. During these verbal 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 will move on to the National Final.
● Round Three, the National Final, will take place in Washington, D.C. on June 9, 2026.
Students will answer short-answer verbal questions and will be awarded a point for each
correct answer. The top three winners receive scholarships of up to $150,000.

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