Authored by Aaron Gifford via The Epoch Times(emphasis ours),
High school students across the nation this month will test their knowledge of America’s foundingin a contest that ultimately rewards the top three finishers with college scholarships.
The first round of the Presidential 1776 Award takes place online the week of Feb. 22–28, according to the program website. In the second round, winners from each state advance to one of five regional semifinals in May.Round three, the national finals, are planned for late June in Washington, just ahead of America’s semi-quincentennial.
“What better way to get our students excited about learning more of our nation’s deep and rich history than a friendly competition meant to challenge high schoolers to show off their knowledge of our great nation’s founding ideals?” Education Secretary Linda McMahon said in a news release.
“As we prepare to celebrate America’s 250th birthday,this competition is an opportunity for young people to push themselves, learn our history, and take pride in the principles that unite us. Game on!”
The James Madison Memorial Fellowship Foundation will provide the scholarship money.
The foundation’s Executive Secretary and CEO Julie Adams said the aim of this program extends far beyond just recognizing and awarding three top students.
“The knowledge of American civics and history is vital to the survival of the Republic,” she said in a news release. “We agree with our namesake James Madison, who wrote in 1822, ‘Knowledge will forever govern ignorance.’”
Teacher-scholars from the foundation wrote “challenging but fair questions” for the young competitors, Adams said.
The upcoming qualifying round, the “Impossible Civics Test,” is an electronically proctored multiple-choice online exam. Students will have 90 minutes to answer up to 4,000 questions on U.S. history across three 30-minute sections of increasing difficulty.
Source: ZeroHedge News
