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◀ 2026 National Finals | April 17-19, 2026 at the Bethesda North Marriott Hotel & Conference Center
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The History of the National Competitions

In 1985, President Ronald Reagan named Chief Justice of the United States, Warren E. Burger, chairman of the Bicentennial of the United States Constitution. From the very beginning, under Burger's leadership, the Commission focused on providing America's young people with a "history and civics lesson" as part of commemorations. That lesson became We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution, a national curriculum program launched under the leadership of the Center for Civic Education's founder, Charles N. Quigley.
During its initial years, under the auspices of the Bicentennial Commission, the program reached more than two million students, and its centerpiece was a competition to test students' knowledge of the Constitution and Bill of Rights. The first national competition took place in 1988, and Chief Justice Burger presented the first-place trophy to the team from Gompers High School from San Diego, California.
In May of 2013, the competitions expanded with the introduction of the first National Invitational, open to both high school and middle school classes who had not earned entry into the National Finals. The first National Invitational took place on the campus of George Mason University, hosting five middle school and two high school teams. To accomodate more teams, the competition has taken place virtually in recent years.
In the decades since 1987, the Center's We the People program has engaged over 30 million students and 75,000 educators. Every year, over a thousand students from the country's best teams descend upon the nation's capital to continue a nearly 40-year-old tradition. Over the years, 14 different schools have won national championships, including Lincoln High School in Portland, Oregon, 2025's co-winner and a seven-time champion.

Past National Champions

  • 2025: Lincoln High School in Portland, Oregon; and Sprague High School in Salem, Oregon
  • 2024: Grant High School in Portland, Oregon
  • 2023: Maggie L. Walker Governor's School for Government and International Studies in Richmond, Virginia
  • 2022: Amador Valley High School in Pleasanton, California
  • 2021: Maggie L. Walker Governor's School for Government and International Studies in Richmond, Virginia
  • 2020: Easthampton High School in Easthampton, Massachusetts
  • 2019: East High School in Denver, Colorado
  • 2018: Grant High School in Portland, Oregon
  • 2017: Maggie L. Walker Governor's School for Government and International Studies in Richmond, Virginia
  • 2016: Lincoln High School in Portland, Oregon
  • 2015: Grant High School in Portland, Oregon
  • 2014: Lincoln High School in Portland, Oregon
  • 2013: Grant High School in Portland, Oregon
  • 2012: Lincoln High School in Portland, Oregon
  • 2011: Maggie L. Walker Governor's School for Government and International Studies in Richmond, Virginia
  • 2010: Arcadia High School in Arcadia, California
  • 2009: East High School in Denver, Colorado
  • 2008: East High School in Denver, Colorado
  • 2007: East High School in Denver, Colorado
  • 2006: East Brunswick High School in East Brunswick, New Jersey
  • 2005: East Brunswick High School in East Brunswick, New Jersey
  • 2004: East Brunswick High School in East Brunswick, New Jersey
  • 2003: Maggie L. Walker Governor's School for Government and International Studies in Richmond, Virginia
  • 2002: Dobson High School in Mesa, Arizona
  • 2001: Our Lady of Lourdes Academy in Miami, Florida
  • 2000: Our Lady of Lourdes Academy in Miami, Florida
  • 1999: Maine South High School in Park Ridge, Illinois
  • 1998: East Brunswick High School in East Brunswick, New Jersey
  • 1997: Our Lady of Lourdes Academy in Miami, Florida
  • 1996: Lincoln High School in Portland, Oregon
  • 1995: Amador Valley High School in Pleasanton, California
  • 1994: Our Lady of Lourdes Academy in Miami, Florida
  • 1993: Arcadia High School in Arcadia, California
  • 1992: East High School in Denver, Colorado
  • 1991: Lincoln High School in Portland, Oregon
  • 1990: Lincoln High School in Portland, Oregon
  • 1989: Lincoln Southeast High School in Lincoln, Nebraska
  • 1988: Gompers Secondary School in San Diego, California
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Still Have Questions?
If you have any further questions, please contact Emily Voss. She will assist you or direct you to additional resources.
About

CCE LogoThe Center for Civic Education is a national, nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to cultivating an informed and thoughtful citizenry committed to democratic principles and actively engaged in the practice of democracy. We do this primarily through our flagship programs, We the People and Project Citizen, but we also provide high-quality, inquiry-driven curricular programs that bring civic learning to life. The Center additionally equips educators with professional learning that builds confidence and capacity to teach civics with depth and relevance, unlocks students’ civic agency by creating opportunities to demonstrate their knowledge and skills, and share their voices through simulated hearings and other public forums. These initiatives build a national community committed to strengthening civic understanding and participation for all and root everything in decades of research and evidence. Learn more.

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