Constituting America Inc

OUR MISSION IS TO EDUCATE STUDENTS AND ADULTS ABOUT THE CONSTITUTION THROUGH THE SCHOOLS AND THE POPULAR CULTURE: MEDIA AND SOCIAL MEDIA.

WASHINGTON SPEAKING INITIATIVE FOR SCHOOLS & CIVIC ORGANIZATIONS AND NEW CONSTITUTIONAL CHATS PODCAST AT NO COST TO THE SCHOOLS OR CIVIC GROUPS, OUR CONSTITUTING AMERICA SPEAKING TEAM, COMPRISED OF STAFF, BOARD MEMBERS, VETERANS AND AWARD WINNING TEACHERS REGULARLY SPEAK AT SCHOOLS, TEACHER CONFERENCES, CIVIC GROUPS AND SENIOR CENTERS, EDUCATING STUDENTS AND CITIZENS IN A NON- PARTISAN WAY ABOUT THE RELEVANCY OF THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION, HOW TO APPLY IT TO THEIR LIVES AND COUNTRY AND "HOW TO HAVE A CIVIL CIVIC CONVERSATION" WITH EACH OTHER AND WITHIN THEIR COMMUNITY. WE ALSO INFORM STUDENTS ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY TO ENTER OUR "WE THE FUTURE" CONTEST AND WIN SCHOLARSHIP PRIZES, MENTOR TRIPS AND NATIONAL EXPOSURE. IN THE FALL OF 2022 THANKS TO GENEROUS GRANTS FROM THE DIANA DAVIS SPENCER FOUNDATION, THE DANIELS FUND, THE ANSCHUTZ FOUNDATION, AND THE SUMNERS FOUNDATION, CONSTITUTING AMERICA BEGAN AN UNPRECEDENTED SCALE UP OF OUR SCHOOL SPEAKING PROGRAM FOR THE 2022-2023 ACADEMIC YEAR, CULMINATING IN 107 LIVE SCHOOL PRESENTATIONS, TO MORE THAN 15,000 STUDENTS. IN 2022 WE MADE PRESENTATIONS IN 9 STATES: TEXAS, OKLAHOMA, COLORADO, UTAH, IDAHO, PENNSYLVANIA, NEW YORK, VIRGINIA, AND FLORIDA. DURING THE INTERACTIVE TALKS UTILIZING THE SOCRATIC METHOD, CONSTITUTING AMERICA REPRESENTATIVES TAKE STUDENTS THROUGH AN AGE-APPROPRIATE CONSTITUTION QUIZ AS A TEMPLATE FOR SOCRATIC DISCUSSIONS AND APPLICATIONS TO THEIR OWN LIVES. CLIPS OF STUDENTS' WINNING WORKS SUCH AS WINNING PSAS ARE SHOWN AS A PEER-TO-PEER TEACHING TOOL AND INSPIRATION. STUDENTS WIN PRIZES AND ARE INVITED TO ENTER CONSTITUTING AMERICA'S "WE THE FUTURE" CONTEST. WE CONSISTENTLY SHOW AN INCREASE IN KNOWLEDGE THROUGH PRE AND POST-TESTING AS A RESULT OF OUR CLASSROOM PRESENTATIONS. EXAMPLE: ON AVERAGE, STUDENTS WENT FROM HAVING 6/10 ANSWERS CORRECT ON OUR PRE-TEST TO HAVING 9/10 ANSWERS ON THE POST-TEST CORRECT. IN LATE 2020 WE RECEIVED A GRANT FROM THE HATTON W. SUMNERS FOUNDATION TO BRING OUR "HOW TO HAVE A CIVIL CIVIC CONVERSATION" PROGRAM TO OKLAHOMA SCHOOLS AND WE BEGAN IMPLEMENTING THAT PROGRAM IN 2021 AND CONTINUED IN 2022 WITH PRESENTATIONS IN SIX DIFFERENT SCHOOLS TO MORE THAN 460 STUDENTS. IN THIS HIGH IMPACT PROGRAM, STUDENTS ARE ASKED TO READ AND EXAMINE BOTH SIDES OF A CURRENT NATIONAL ISSUE, GLEAN PERTINENT AND FACTUAL INFORMATION, AND DISCUSS COMPLICATED AND DIVISIVE ISSUES WITH THEIR PEERS AND FELLOW CITIZENS IN A PRODUCTIVE AND CIVIL MANNER. DESIGNED WITH POLLING AND FOCUS GROUP DATA IN MIND FROM OUR 2018 POLL OF TEACHERS AND STUDENTS, WE TEACH STUDENTS CIVIL CIVIC CONVERSATION TOOLS WITH A VIDEO PRODUCED BY CONSTITUTING AMERICA FEATURING OUR "WE THE FUTURE" CONTEST WINNERS. WE THEN GIVE STUDENTS ACTUAL EXPERIENCE UTILIZING THESE TOOLS AS THEY READ ARTICLES FROM THE "OTHER SIDE," OF THEIR PREDISPOSED ISSUE POSITION. STUDENTS THEN WORK WITH FELLOW STUDENTS TO FIND COMMON GROUND AND CREATE A BILL TO PRESENT TO THEIR MEMBERS OF CONGRESS. EXAMPLES OF ISSUES STUDENTS HAVE DISCUSSED INCLUDE THE ISSUE OF BUILDING A WALL AT OUR COUNTRY'S SOUTHERN BORDER; GUN CONTROL; CLIMATE CHANGE; WHETHER OR NOT MENTALLY ILL PEOPLE SHOULD OWN GUNS; AND WHETHER OR NOT STUDENTS SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO HAVE THEIR CELLPHONES IN SCHOOL. WE MEASURE THE IMPACT OF "HOW TO HAVE A CIVIL CIVIC CONVERSATION" WITH STUDENT SURVEYS CONDUCTED FOLLOWING THE COMPLETION OF THE EXERCISE. TYPICAL OF THE RESPONSES RECEIVED ARE THESE FROM OUR PRESENTATION AT DEER CREEK HIGH SCHOOL, IN WHICH: - 94% OF STUDENTS FELT MORE WILLING TO LISTEN TO A VIEWPOINT THAT DIFFERS FROM THEIRS - 92% OF STUDENTS FELT BETTER PREPARED TO DISCUSS CONTROVERSIAL ISSUES WITH FRIENDS - 90% OF STUDENTS FELT MORE OPEN TO LEARNING ABOUT OPPOSING POINTS OF VIEW - 60% OF STUDENTS PLANNED TO CHANGE THE WAY THEY CONSUME NEWS STORIES - 79.2% BETTER APPRECIATED HOW CONGRESS SHOULD SEEK COMPROMISE AS ANOTHER WAY TO SERVE STUDENTS AND TEACHERS AFFECTED BY THE PANDEMIC, WE BEGAN OUR LIVE CONSTITUTIONAL CHATS PODCAST SERIES IN MARCH 2020, AND HAVE CONTINUED THIS PROGRAM, WITH IT GROWING EVERY YEAR. IN 2022 WE HELD 48 LIVE STREAMING PRESENTATIONS VIEWED BY 11,000+ LIVE AUDIENCE MEMBERS (MANY OF WHOM ARE STUDENTS WATCHING FROM CLASSROOMS AND HOMESCHOOL VENUES), BRINGING OUR TOTAL PROGRAM REACH SINCE INCEPTION TO 187 LIVE PODCASTS TO MORE THAN 25,200 LIVE VIEWERS, WITH AN ADDITIONAL 540,000 LISTENS ON POPULAR PODCAST PLATFORMS, TAKING OUR TOTAL PODCAST LISTENS TO OVER 565,000. 94% OF ATTENDEES REPORT LEARNING SOMETHING NEW ABOUT THE CONSTITUTION, WHILE 98% "FIND THIS WAY OF LEARNING ABOUT THE CONSTITUTION FUN AND INFORMATIVE."

WINNER PROMOTION - THE WORK PERFORMED OR CREATED BY OUR CONTEST WINNERS DOES NOT LIE DORMANT. CONSTITUTING AMERICA IS THE ONLY ORGANIZATION THAT UTILIZES THE MEDIUMS OF MOVIES, MUSIC AND TELEVISION FOR THE NATIONAL DISTRIBUTION OF THE KIDS' OWN WINNING WORKS TO INSPIRE AMERICANS OF ALL AGES TO LEARN ABOUT THE U.S. CONSTITUTION. WE SUBMIT OUR CONTEST WINNERS' PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS (PSAS) TO TELEVISION AND RADIO STATIONS ACROSS THE NATION, AND THEY ARE ACTUALLY PLAYED ON TV AND RADIO. AS OF 2022, 275 TELEVISION STATIONS HAD PLAYED OUR WINNERS' PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS AND/OR HAD THEM IN ROTATION REACHING OVER 138 MILLION HOUSEHOLDS. A HIGHLIGHT OF 2022 WAS ADAM ZHENG'S WINNING PSA, "PIZZA AND CIVIL CIVIC CONVERSATIONS," RECEIVING 3.3 MILLION IMPRESSIONS ON 233 TELEVISION STATIONS. IN 2022 OUR WINNERS' RADIO PSA'S WERE PLAYED ON 20 RADIO STATIONS IN MAJOR MARKETS SUCH AS CHICAGO, DETROIT, WASHINGTON, DC, LAS VEGAS AND HONOLULU GARNERING OVER 50 MILLION NIELSEN-VERIFIED RADIO IMPRESSIONS. WE SUBMIT OUR WINNERS' FILMS TO FILM FESTIVALS ACROSS THE NATION. IN 2022 OUR WE THE FUTURE CONTEST WINNERS' PSA'S, SHORT FILMS AND MUSIC VIDEOS RECEIVED 38 FILM FESTIVAL ACCEPTANCES, AND 12 "AWARD WINNER" TITLES, BRINGING OUR TOTAL FILM FESTIVAL ACCEPTANCES TO 110. CONSTITUTING AMERICA WORKS WITH WINNERS OF OUR SONGWRITING CONTEST TO PROFESSIONALLY RECORD THEIR SONGS; WE WORK WITH GRASSROOTS PROMOTION OF NASHVILLE TO SUBMIT THE SONGS TO RADIO STATIONS, AND OUR WINNERS' SONGS ACTUALLY GET PLAYED ON THE RADIO. OUR SONG WINNERS HAVE RECORDED IN THE HISTORIC QUONSET HUT RECORDING STUDIO IN NASHVILLE, IN GRAMMY WINNERS MICHAEL BODDICKER AND LARI WHITE'S STUDIOS AND AT NEW REPUBLIC STUDIOS IN AUSTIN. IN 2022 WE RELEASED COLT JAXON'S WINNING SONG, "1A" ON RADIO STATIONS ACROSS THE COUNTRY. JAXON WROTE "1A" TO EXPRESS HIS LOVE AND APPRECIATION FOR THE FIRST AMENDMENT OF THE U.S. CONSTITUTION. HIS SONG REACHED THE TOP 5 MOST STREAMED SONGS ON PLAY MPE ALONGSIDE ARTISTS LIKE BLAKE SHELTON, AMY SHEPPARD AND SHANE PROFFITT. WITH OUR PROMOTIONAL HELP, "1A" RECEIVED OVER 6 MILLION IMPRESSIONS ON OVER 30 RADIO STATIONS CUMULATIVELY, OUR WINNERS' SONGS HAVE BEEN PLAYED ON 81 RADIO STATIONS, WITH 174 MILLION IMPRESSIONS. WINNING ARTWORK BY OUR STUDENTS IS UTILIZED TO CREATE HOLIDAY CARDS AND THESE CARDS ARE MAILED OUT TO NATIONAL, STATE AND LOCAL LEADERS. WE ALSO PLACE THE WINNING ARTWORK ON NOTECARDS THAT ARE SOLD IN OUR CONSTITUTING AMERICA STORE, AND GIVEN AWAY AS PRIZES AT OUR PUBLIC SPEAKING EVENTS. WINNERS' SCHOLARSHIPS AND MENTOR EXPERIENCE/TRIPS - TO DATE, THROUGH THE "WE THE FUTURE" CONTEST AND THE TURNER MAURICE GAUNTT, JR. EXEMPLARY CITIZEN AWARD, THE 244 ELEMENTARY, MIDDLE SCHOOL, HIGH SCHOOL, COLLEGE AND GRAD-SCHOOL WINNERS FROM 36 DIFFERENT STATES HAVE RECEIVED OVER 298,258 IN SCHOLARSHIPS AND PRIZE MONEY. IN 2022, CONSTITUTING AMERICA AWARDED 25,000 IN SCHOLARSHIP PRIZES TO THE 2021 HIGH SCHOOL, COLLEGE, AND TEACHER WINNERS AND THE TURNER MAURICE GAUNTT, JR. EXEMPLARY CITIZEN AWARD WINNER, LEE ANN MEHENDALE. THROUGH 2022 OUR 17 TEACHER WINNERS HAVE WON A TOTAL OF 13,750 FOR HAVING THE BEST LESSON PLAN. MENTOR TRIPS - OUR "WE THE FUTURE" CONTEST WINNERS NOT ONLY RECEIVE SCHOLARSHIP PRIZES - WE MENTOR THEM IN VARIOUS WAYS, INCLUDING TAKING THEM ON A YEARLY MENTOR TRIP. IN 2022, WE SPONSORED OUR BIGGEST MENTOR TRIP TO DATE: A 2.5 DAY TRIP TO WASHINGTON D.C. FOR 39 STUDENT WINNERS FROM 15 STATES. WE INCLUDED WINNERS FROM 2022 AS WELL AS THE TWO PREVIOUS YEARS IMPACTED BY COVID, WHEN WE WERE UNABLE TO SCHEDULE THE YEARLY TRIP DUE TO SO MANY SITES BEING CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC. OVER THE COURSE OF THREE DAYS, OUR GROUP TOURED THE U.S. CAPITOL, THE EISENHOWER EXECUTIVE OFFICE BUILDING, THE VICTIMS OF COMMUNISM MUSEUM, THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES, AND MOUNT VERNON. WE HAD THE GREAT HONOR TO PERFORM WREATH-LAYING CEREMONIES AT THE TOMB OF THE UNKNOWN SOLDIER AT ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY AND AT GEORGE WASHINGTON'S TOMB AT MOUNT VERNON. A THOMAS JEFFERSON REENACTOR VISITED WITH STUDENTS ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF CIVIL CIVIC CONVERSATION AND WE HAD DINNER AT THE HISTORIC DECATUR HOUSE. AFTER OUR TRIP, RACHEL XU, OUR BEST HIGH SCHOOL ESSAY WINNER FROM FLORIDA SAID, "THE CONSTITUTING AMERICA TEAM NOT ONLY MANAGED TO BRING US TO A NUMBER OF IMPORTANT AND HISTORICALLY SIGNIFICANT ATTRACTIONS ACROSS THE CITY PERTAINING TO OUR COUNTRY'S RICH, LAYERED HISTORY AS A NOVEL AND THRIVING REPUBLIC, BUT THEY WERE THOUGHTFUL ENOUGH TO INVITE A NUMBER OF CONSTITUTION EXPERTS AND REPORTERS WHO SHARED WITH US THEIR UNIQUE AND NUANCED PERSPECTIVE ON OUR DEMOCRATIC VALUES." IN PAST YEARS, OUR STUDENTS HAVE TRAVELED ON ALL-EXPENSE PAID TRIPS TO PHILADELPHIA, HOLLYWOOD, NASHVILLE, NEW YORK AND WASHINGTON, D.C. DURING THE MENTOR TRIPS, STUDENTS MEET WITH INDUSTRY LEADERS, PROFESSIONALLY RECORD THEIR WINNING SONGS, GET FILMED FOR MINI-DOCUMENTARIES AND MUSIC VIDEOS AND ALL DONE WITH A CONSTITUTIONAL SCHOLAR AND ATTEND A TWO-HOUR IN-DEPTH CONSTITUTION CLASS. SOME OF OUR PAST MENTORS INCLUDE SINGERS VINCE GILL, LARI WHITE, FILM AND TELEVISION STAR GARY SINISE, AND FILM PRODUCERS JONATHAN AND DEBORAH FLORA AND MICHEAL FLAHERTY. OTHER HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE MEETING WITH CHIEF JUSTICE JOHN ROBERTS AT THE U.S. SUPREME COURT, VIP TOURS OF DISNEY, UNIVERSAL STUDIOS, MOUNT VERNON ESTATES, THE HISTORICAL HOME OF GEORGE WASHINGTON, AS WELL AS DINNER WITH CONSTITUTIONAL SCHOLARS SOUTHWESTERN LAW SCHOOL PROFESSOR JORGE KNIPPRATH AND HILLSDALE'S WILLIAM MORRISEY. CONSTITUTION DAY PROGRAMMING - FOR THE FIFTH YEAR IN A ROW, OUR "WE THE FUTURE" CONTEST WINNERS PARTICIPATED IN A CONSTITUTION DAY PROGRAM PRODUCED BY CONSTITUTING AMERICA. AFTER TWO YEARS OF PARTICIPATING IN LIVE PROGRAMMING WITH THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, IN 2020 CONSTITUTING AMERICA CREATED OUR OWN FIVE-HOUR VIRTUAL EVENT, A SERIES OF WORKSHOPS, LIVE STREAMED TO STUDENTS AND CLASSROOMS ACROSS AMERICA, AND CONTINUED AND GREW THIS EVENT IN 2022. WE BEGAN THE DAY BY READING THE U.S. CONSTITUTION ALOUD, IN ITS ENTIRETY WITH TWO OF OUR "WE THE FUTURE" CONTEST WINNERS, AND THEN FILLED OUT THE DAY WITH EIGHT WORKSHOPS INCLUDING: "THE CONSTITUTION & CRAFTS," "THE CONSTITUTION & CINEMA," "THE CONSTITUTION & SCIENCE," "THE CONSTITUTION & CITIZENSHIP," THE CONSTITUTION & THE FIRST AMENDMENT," "THE CONSTITUTION & HOW TO HAVE A CIVIL CIVIC CONVERSATION,- AND "THE CONSTITUTION & CONCERT." OUR CONTEST WINNERS APPEARED THROUGHOUT THE FIVE-HOUR PROGRAM. CLASSROOMS FROM 130 SCHOOLS ACROSS THE U.S. TUNED IN WITH OVER 6,700 LIVE VIEWERS, FROM 46 STATES. STUDENTS IN THE AUDIENCE WERE GIVEN TWO EXTRA WEEKS TO ENTER OUR "WE THE FUTURE" CONTEST, RESULTING IN A GREATER SUBMISSION AMOUNT

ADULT ACADEMIC FORUM - 90 DAY STUDIES TO ENGAGE ADULTS IN A THOUGHTFUL AND INFORMATIVE DISCUSSION ON AMERICA'S FOUNDING PRINCIPLES AND TO AID PARENTS IN TEACHING THEIR CHILDREN ABOUT THE CONSTITUTION, CONSTITUTING AMERICA LAUNCHED THE "90 IN 90 =180 HISTORY HOLDS THE KEY TO THE FUTURE" INITIATIVE. THIS INITIATIVE IS AN ONLINE FORUM THAT CHALLENGES ADULTS TO JOIN WITH OTHERS AROUND THE NATION IN READING AND DISCUSSING FOUNDING DOCUMENTS OVER A 90-DAY PERIOD. THE PROGRAM IS AUGMENTED BY A NOTABLE GROUP OF CONSTITUTIONAL SCHOLARS FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY WHO WRITE DAILY ESSAYS ON THE DAY'S ASSIGNED READING. THE 2022 TOPIC WAS "AMERICAN EXCEPTIONALISM REVEALED: THE RISE AND FALL OF WORLDWIDE REGIMES AND HOW UNITED STATES FOUNDING WISDOM PREVAILS. THE 90 ESSAYS COMPRISING THE STUDY WERE AUTHORED BY 22 DIFFERENT CONSTITUTIONAL SCHOLARS, HISTORIANS, AND ELECTED OFFICIALS AND WERE VIEWED OVER 1.4 MILLION TIMES. THESE ESSAYS JOIN OUR 10 PAST 90-DAY STUDIES FOR A TOTAL OF 1,336 ESSAYS BY 207 NATIONALLY KNOWN CONSTITUTIONAL SCHOLARS, HISTORIANS AND ELECTED OFFICIALS. OUR PAST 90-DAY STUDIES INCLUDE: "OUR LIVES, OUR FORTUNES, AND OUR SACRED HONOR: A 90 DAY STUDY EXPLORING THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE2020." "IN THE COURSE OF HUMAN EVENTS: A 90-DAY STUDY OF IMPORTANT DATES IN AMERICAN HISTORY THAT SHAPED THE UNITED STATES AND CHANGED THE WORLD2020," "RESERVED TO THE STATES: BOUNDARIES ON FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FOR THE FLOURISHING OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE 2019," "FIRE ON THE FLOOR: THE RULES, CONFLICT AND DEBATE THAT FUEL THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS 2018," "U.S. SUPREME COURT: LANDMARK DECISIONS AND THE JUSTICES WHO MADE THEM 2017," "THE INTRIGUE OF PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS AND THEIR CONSTITUTIONAL IMPACT: A STUDY OF OUR COUNTRY'S PAST 57 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS 2016," "CONSTITUTIONAL CRISIS - HOW EXECUTIVE OVERREACH IS IMPEDING YOUR LIBERTIES AND UNDERMINING STATES' SOVEREIGNTY: A STUDY ON THE CRITICAL EROSION OF CONSTITUTIONAL CHECKS AND BALANCES 2015." OTHER PAST STUDY TOPICS INCLUDE: "THE CLASSICS THAT INSPIRED THE CONSTITUTION AND THE CHALLENGES IT FACES TODAY;" THE AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION, THE CONSTITUTION AND THE FEDERALIST PAPERS AND THEIR RELEVANCE TODAY. DURING OUR 90-DAY STUDIES, CITIZENS ARE ENCOURAGED TO JOIN THE CONVERSATION WITH CONSTITUTIONAL SCHOLARS BY CONTRIBUTING BLOG COMMENTS, AND DISCUSSING THE DAY'S ASSIGNMENT ON FACEBOOK, TWITTER, AND OTHER SOCIAL MEDIA. OUR SOCIAL MEDIA PRESENCE HAS RAPIDLY GROWN OVER THE YEARS (35,000 FACEBOOK FANS BY THE END OF 2011 TO OVER 83,000, ONE OF THE LARGEST OF ANY CONSTITUTION EDUCATION ORGANIZATION; OVER 26,000 YOUTUBE SUBSCRIBERS, AGAIN ONE OF THE LARGEST OF ANY CONSTITUTION EDUCATION ORGANIZATION. SINCE 2020 OUR INSTAGRAM ACCOUNT GREW FROM JUST OVER 1,000 FOLLOWERS TO OVER 8,700 FOLLOWERS IN 2022 AS A RESULT OF THIS INITIATIVE, THOUSANDS OF CITIZENS HAVE GAINED A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING OF THE CONSTITUTION'S MEANING, AND ITS RELEVANCY TODAY THROUGH THE ESSAYS, COMMENTARIES AND ANALYSIS PROVIDED BY THE PARTICIPATING SEASONED SCHOLARS AND HISTORIANS. ALL THIRTEEN STUDIES ARE AVAILABLE IN THEIR ENTIRETY, ARCHIVED AND SEARCHABLE, AND IN DOWNLOADABLE PDF FORM, AND ARE BEING USED ONLINE FOR EDUCATIONAL CURRICULUM AND ONLINE STUDIES.

STUDENTS' SCHOLASTIC CONSTITUTION CONTEST & TURNER MAURICE GAUNTT, JR. EXEMPLARY CITIZEN AWARD "WE THE FUTURE" CONTEST - CONSTITUTING AMERICA'S CORNERSTONE INITIATIVE, THE "WE THE FUTURE" CONTEST, OFFERS AMERICA'S STUDENTS, K-COLLEGE AND GRADUATE SCHOOL AN OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN ABOUT THE U.S. CONSTITUTION AND OUR COUNTRY'S FOUNDING PRINCIPLES IN CREATIVE AND INNOVATIVE WAYS. THE CONTEST IS DESIGNED TO INFLUENCE AND EDUCATE STUDENTS AND ADULTS THROUGH THE CULTURE. THIS FUN AND ENGAGING CONTEST AWARDS PRIZES FOR ORIGINAL SONGS, SHORT FILMS, PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS, STEM AND MARKETING PROGRAMS, SPEECHES, POEMS, DRAWINGS ESSAYS, AND TEACHER LESSON PLANS INSPIRED BY THE U.S. CONSTITUTION. WE THEN PROMOTE THE WINNERS' WORKS BY DISTRIBUTING THEM THROUGH THE NATIONAL MEDIA. WE ARE THE ONLY ORGANIZATION THAT UTILIZES MOVIES, MUSIC AND TELEVISION TO PROMOTE THE KIDS' OWN WORKS TO INSPIRE AMERICANS OF ALL AGES TO LEARN ABOUT THE U.S. CONSTITUTION. WE THE FUTURE CONTEST ENTRIES HAVE BEEN RECEIVED FROM EVERY STATE IN THE NATION AND ARE JUDGED BY A RESPECTED PANEL OF WELL-KNOWN JUDGES SUCH AS COUNTRY MUSIC STAR JOHN RICH, NASHVILLE PRODUCER JOE SCAIFE, RAP STAR MOSES UVERE, FILM PRODUCERS MICHEAL FLAHERTY, SUZANNE WEINERT, AND JONATHAN AND DEBORAH FLORA, PUBLISHER CHIP FLAHERTY, NATIONAL COUNCIL FOR THE SOCIAL STUDIES TERRY CHERRY, TEXAS POET LAUREATE KARLA MORTON, BEST SELLING AUTHOR RON HALL, FOUNDATION FOR A BETTER LIFE'S GARY DIXON, FORMER WHITE HOUSE SPEECHWRITER MARC THIESSEN, RICE UNIVERSITY PROFESSOR JAMES DENICCO, TEXAS PUBLIC POLICY FOUNDATION'S THOMAS LINDSAY AND PRESIDENT REAGAN'S FORMER OMB DIRECTOR JIM MILLER. IN 2022 OUR "WE THE FUTURE" CONTEST WINNERS REPRESENTING FOURTEEN STATES RECEIVED SCHOLARSHIPS TOTALING 25,000. WINNERS ALSO RECEIVE NATIONAL EXPOSURE AND PROMOTION (SEE "WINNER PROMOTION" PROGRAM); SCHOLARSHIP PRIZES FOR HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE STUDENTS (SEE BELOW); AND AN ALL-EXPENSE PAID MENTOR TRIP (SEE "MENTOR TRIP PROGRAM"). YOUNGER STUDENTS RECEIVED GIFT CARDS AND OTHER PRIZES. TURNER MAURICE GAUNTT, JR. EXEMPLARY CITIZEN AWARD - IN 2014 A NEW CATEGORY WAS ADDED TO THE "WE THE FUTURE" CONTEST: THE TURNER MAURICE GAUNTT, JR. EXEMPLARY CITIZENSHIP AWARD. THIS 4,540 SCHOLARSHIP IS AWARDED ANNUALLY THROUGH CONSTITUTING AMERICA. THIS SCHOLARSHIP IS NAMED FOR JANINE TURNER'S FATHER, MR. TURNER MAURICE GAUNTT, JR. WHO WAS THE INSPIRATION FOR JANINE TURNER'S FOUNDING OF CONSTITUTING AMERICA. JANINE'S FATHER WAS BORN ON DECEMBER 18, 1934, AND DEPARTED THIS LIFE ON JANUARY 24, 2014. JANINE'S FATHER TAUGHT HER FROM AN EARLY AGE THAT WE ARE BLESSED TO LIVE AS CITIZENS OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. HE WAS A WEST POINT GRADUATE AND FLEW WITH THE STRATEGIC AIR COMMAND. HE WAS ONE OF THE FIRST TO FLY THE REVOLUTIONARY B-58 HUSTLER AT MACH 2. JANINE'S FATHER WAS BRAVE, HONEST, AND RESILIENT. HE INSPIRED HER TO LOVE HER COUNTRY, AND BE WILLING TO MAKE SACRIFICES FOR HER. HE INSPIRED HER TO STUDY HISTORY, TO VALUE LESSONS LEARNED FROM BOTH HISTORY AND GREAT PATRIOTS, AND TO BE OF SERVICE. MR. GAUNTT VALUED OUR COUNTRY'S FOUNDING PRINCIPLES AND OUR FOUNDING FATHERS' WISDOM. WITH HIS EXEMPLARY SERVICE, HE HONORED OUR UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION. CONSTITUTING AMERICA AWARDS THE TURNER MAURICE GAUNTT, JR. EXEMPLARY CITIZEN AWARD EVERY YEAR TO A GRADUATING SENIOR, NOMINATED BY A TEACHER OR SCHOOL ADMINISTRATOR, WHOSE CHARACTER MIRRORS THESE VALUES IN THE FOUR CORNERSTONE AREAS: STELLAR ACADEMIC RECORD, ATHLETIC EXCELLENCE, COMMUNITY SERVICE, STUDENT BODY LEADERSHIP. THROUGH 2022, NINE STUDENTS HAVE BEEN AWARDED THIS SCHOLARSHIP PRIZE: AUSTIN DOBBS (2014, BAYLOR UNIVERSITY), LEXI LASSITER (2015, THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN), PARKER EMERICH (2016, TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY), MIRANDA CHASTAIN (2017, TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY), GABE MAGGIO (2018, VILLANOVA UNIVERSITY), KIRK TAYLOR (2019, BERKLEE COLLEGE OF MUSIC), CARSON WINKIE (2020, HARVARD), JONAH HENSLEY (2021, PITTSBURG STATE UNIVERSITY), AND LEE ANN MEHENDALE (2022, MIT).