National Finals
Rules and Eligibility for the Academic Year 2025-2026
The We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution National Finals is the Center for Civic Education’s national culminating event dedicated to fostering broad participation by students from every U.S. state, district, and territory. The program promotes authentic classroom civic learning experiences that prepare students for informed, engaged citizenship. The majority of students in the We the People program participate in school, district, or state-level competitions. These local and state-level hearings are where students truly experience the deepening of their civic knowledge. The Center honors this learning by providing the We the People National Finals, allowing high-performing teams to showcase their understanding of constitutional principles and civic skills at the national level.
These rules outline the eligibility criteria and participation guidelines for the We the People National Finals during the 2025–2026 academic year. They are intended to ensure a fair, inclusive, and high-quality experience for all participating students, teachers, and schools. While the National Finals primarily feature teams representing schools with established We the People programs through inclusion in scheduled classes, we recognize that not all states have fully developed programs in every district or school.
State-Level Team Eligibility
- Each state is responsible for establishing its own criteria for participation in regional and state-level We the People competitions.
- A state’s winning team may attend the National Finals as the official state representative, provided they meet all eligibility requirements.
- Each state may send one official team to the National Finals, typically the winner of the state-level competition.
- Teams from states without a qualifying competition or lacking the support of a state coordinator may request to send a team, provided that the team meets all eligibility requirements and has demonstrated a baseline level of program implementation.
- Teams must have completed at least one in-school or local-level We the People hearing prior to the National Finals to ensure that students are adequately prepared for the experience. Teachers from these states must contact the Center in advance to coordinate participation and confirm eligibility.
- If more than one school expresses interest in representing the state, the Center will determine how to proceed, which may include internal review or consultation with potential partners in the state.
We the People Team Eligibility
Individual Student Eligibility
Team Composition (All Teams)
