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Bill of Rights Institute and iCivics Announce Second Round of Winners in Civic Star Challenge, a Nationwide A250 Initiative

Posted on by [email protected]

Sixty-three educators have been awarded $300 each for integrating themes from the Declaration of Independence into their teaching in the lead-up to the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

WASHINGTON, DC [February 6, 2026] The Bill of Rights Institute and iCivics have named the second round of winners of the Civic Star Challenge, a nationwide initiative to inspire millions of acts of civic learning in the lead-up to the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

The Civic Star Challenge makes the teaching of the Declaration of Independence digestible and relatable to today’s youth by providing educators with a repository of adaptable lesson plans and activities that teach the key themes of the founding document. The resources are available at civicstarchallenge.org. Once educators have taught at least one of 11 themes, they can submit a log of their activities for a chance to win from a cash prize pool totaling more than $200,000.

The Challenge includes four cycles of random drawings, each awarding $300 to selected teachers, and an essay contest that has a $10,000 grand prize for the winning teacher’s school district.

The Civic Star Challenge is made possible through generous support from Griffin Catalyst, civic engagement initiative of Citadel Founder and CEO Ken Griffin; the Stand Together Trust; and The Pedersen Foundation.

Today, the 63 winners of the second round of drawings have been announced. The teachers represent more than 30 states.

“The Civic Star Challenge honors the educators who keep America’s founding principles alive in their classrooms,” said David Bobb, President and CEO of the Bill of Rights Institute. “Their work reminds us that civic knowledge and virtue are essential to sustaining liberty for the next generation and to helping students see their role in preserving a free society.”

“The celebration of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence is an incredible moment to engage in the teaching of our founding documents and in civic education in general – and this has never been more critical,” iCivics CEO Louise Dubé said. “We’re proud to be able to reward teachers for their efforts to connect the themes and ideals from the Declaration to the present.”

The winners are listed below:

Natalia Allen

Jon Barnes

Andrea Bauck

Jason Bennett

Sherry Blenman

Laura Brucato

Cady Burstein

Cindy Cantu

Avery Keese

Morrow Kerins

Steven Leavitt

Andrea Longstreet

Laura McFarren

Linda McGinness

Joseph McGuire

Sarah Mensinger

Lisabeth Mikolajczyk-Harper

Laura Mirt

Evangeline Mitchell

Stephanie Nichols

Stacey Clark

Melanie Claros-Rodriguez

Christopher Crawford

Artur Da Silva

Daniel Dawson

Lauren Feld

Brittany Ferguson

Thomas Fulbright

Charles Oliver

Beth Oswald

Amy Palo

Kristen Parise

John Phillips

Shine Ray

Kristal Reeves

Stephanie Richards

Richard Rineberg

Kara Robinson

Michele Rowley

Shannon Salter-Burghardt

Jamie Shannon

Randall Furash-Stewart

Nicole Gasparik

Jennifer Graham

Anne Hester

Jean Hiller

Kimberly Huffman

Kevin Jackson

Jaclyn Jecha

Dawn Skelton

Craig Specht

Molly Stanley

Tabby Talbourdet

Shelly Tanner

Michael Thomas

Brande Vogele

Anne Walker

Nadia Westen

Kymberli Wregglesworth

Blanche Wulfekoetter

Gregory Yarnall

Heather Yates

ABOUT iCIVICS

Founded in 2009 by Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, iCivics is a nonpartisan organization dedicated to advancing civic learning by providing educators and students with the knowledge, skills, and resources needed to embrace and engage in our civic life together. iCivics empowers educators and leads the movement to make civic education a nationwide priority so all young people have the confidence to shape the world around them and believe in our country’s future. To learn more, visit www.icivics.org.

 

ABOUT BILL OF RIGHTS INSTITUTE
The Bill of Rights Institute is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that works to advance civic and history education through market-leading curricula and programs for educators and students. To learn more, visit www.mybri.org. 

 

ABOUT GRIFFIN CATALYST

Griffin Catalyst is the civic engagement initiative of Citadel founder and CEO Ken Griffin, encompassing his philanthropic and community impact efforts. Tackling the world’s greatest challenges in innovative, action-oriented, and evidence-driven ways, Griffin Catalyst is dedicated to expanding opportunity and improving lives across six areas of focus: Education, Science & Medicine, Upward Mobility, Freedom & Democracy, Enterprise & Innovation, and Communities. For more information, visit griffincatalyst.org.

iCivics Announces Inaugural Winner of The Justice Sandra Day O’Connor Prize for Excellence in Teaching Civics

Posted on by Sophie Gordon

Shari Conditt, a U.S. history teacher at Woodland High School in Woodland, WA, is named the first recipient of the award that honors Justice O’Connor’s legacy in civic education

WASHINGTON, D.C. – [December 4, 2025] — iCivics, the nation’s leading civic education nonprofit and provider of free, nonpartisan civic education resources, today announced that Shari Conditt, a U.S. History Teacher at Woodland High School in Woodland, WA, is the inaugural recipient of The Justice Sandra Day O’Connor Prize for Excellence in Teaching Civics.

The award, presented at the annual conference of the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) in Washington, D.C., is named for Justice O’Connor, who founded iCivics after retiring from the U.S. Supreme Court. Seth Harris from Shaker Middle School in Latham, NY, and Dr. Shelina Warren from Paul Laurence Dunbar High School in Washington, D.C., were named as finalists for the award.

Unveiled just ahead of the 250th anniversary year of the Declaration of Independence (A250) in 2026, the prize was established by Justice O’Connor’s former law clerks to honor her unwavering commitment to civic education, a cause she considered her most important legacy and contribution to the nation.

Since she founded iCivics in 2009, the organization has grown to serve nearly 150,000 educators and 9 million students per year across all 50 states and 80% of U.S. counties.

Conditt has taught AP Government, AP U.S. History, and U.S. History for the past 25 years. She is a National Board Certified Teacher and a member of the iCivics EdNet. She was the 2024 Bill of Rights Institute National Civics Teacher of the Year, the 2016 Washington State History Teacher of the Year, and the 2025 Ft. Vancouver Region SAR History Teacher of the Year.

“Justice O’Connor adored teachers, and they in turn adored her,” said Louise Dubé, iCivics CEO. “She was their greatest advocate because she saw that they were the true stewards and protectors of this country’s constitutional democracy. Shari Conditt embodies everything that the Justice admired and held dear.”

The annual award recognizes exemplary members of the iCivics Educator Network, a group of more than 350 civics, history, and social studies teachers, who demonstrate particular excellence, dedication and innovation in teaching the foundations of democracy. The prize includes $5,000 and recognition at an iCivics reception during the NCSS Conference on December 4, 2025, in Washington, D.C. The finalists will also be featured in person at the Civic Learning Week National Forum in Philadelphia, March 9–10, 2026.

“The law clerks are pleased that their gift will recognize this year’s honorees, who are exactly the sort of effective, innovative, and dedicated educators that Justice O’Connor would be proud to honor,” said Kathleen Smalley, who clerked for Justice O’Connor in 1982.

Finalist Seth Harris teaches seventh-grade American history at Shaker Middle School. He runs the school’s Law Day mock trial and serves on the Student Council, has earned multiple awards for excellence in education, and has also served as deputy mayor of Menands.

Finalist Dr. Shelina Warren is the Director of the Eleanor Holmes Norton Law & Public Policy Academy at Paul Laurence Dunbar High School. A National Board-Certified educator with over 20 years of experience, she is an Army veteran and an award-winning leader in experiential, justice-centered civics education.

In addition to unveiling the prize at NCSS, iCivics will be highlighting valuable new educator supports designed to make teaching about A250 easier, more engaging, and more joyful for classrooms. The Civic Star Challenge helps educators bring the themes of the Declaration of Independence to life in the classroom—with the chance to win cash prizes. GoodEd.ai is a co-planning tool made for and by civics and social studies educators that helps teachers adapt trusted iCivics lessons and primary sources to the needs of their classroom and local community. The We Can Teach Hard Things initiative features educators sharing research-backed strategies for navigating difficult topics. Investigation Declaration, iCivics’ award-winning game, immerses students in a historical mystery that reveals how Enlightenment ideas shaped the Declaration.

iCivics also named the following educators as semifinalists:

  • Anne Hester, Lee County Schools, FL
  • Kimberly Huffman, Wayne County Schools Career Center, OH
  • Don Jenkins, Former teacher, Edmonton, MN
  • Linda O’Dwyer, Parker Junior High School, IL 
  • Sam Westerdale, Rangeview High School, CO
  • Christian Wrabley, Greater Johnstown Senior High School, PA
  • Ryan Werenka, Troy High School, MI

Bill of Rights Institute and iCivics Announce First Round of Winners in Civic Star Challenge, a Nationwide A250 Initiative

Posted on by Sophie Gordon

Sixty-three educators have been awarded $300 each for integrating themes from the Declaration of Independence into their teaching in the lead-up to the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

WASHINGTON, DC [November 10, 2025] The Bill of Rights Institute and iCivics have named the first round of winners of the Civic Star Challenge, a nationwide initiative to inspire millions of acts of civic learning in the lead-up to the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

The Civic Star Challenge makes the teaching of the Declaration of Independence digestible and relatable to today’s youth by providing educators with a repository of adaptable lesson plans and activities that teach the key themes of the founding document. The resources are available at civicstarchallenge.org. Once educators have taught at least one of 11 themes, they can submit a log of their activities for a chance to win from a cash prize pool totaling more than $200,000.

The Challenge includes four rounds of random drawings, each awarding $300 to selected teachers, and an essay contest that has a $10,000 grand prize for the winning teacher’s school district.

The Civic Star Challenge is made possible through generous support from Griffin Catalyst, civic engagement initiative of Citadel Founder and CEO Ken Griffin; the Stand Together Trust; and The Pedersen Foundation.

Today, the 63 winners of the first round of drawings have been announced. The teachers represent more than 25 states.

“The Civic Star Challenge honors the educators who keep America’s founding principles alive in their classrooms,” said David Bobb, President and CEO of the Bill of Rights Institute. “Their work reminds us that civic knowledge and virtue are essential to sustaining liberty for the next generation and to helping students see their role in preserving a free society.”

“The celebration of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence is an incredible moment to engage in the teaching of our founding documents and in civic education in general – and this has never been more critical,” iCivics CEO Louise Dubé said. “We’re proud to be able to reward teachers for their efforts to connect the themes and ideals from the Declaration to the present.”

The winners are listed below:

Meredith Baker

Andrea Bauck

Jason Bennett

Nicole Bloodgood

Laura Bowersox

Patricia Capobianco

Stacey Clark

Allison Collie

Rachel Cox

Jessica Culver

Scott Cvelbar

Deborah Damboise

Marin Fairbanks

Taneeta Fair

Lauren Feld

Kristina Fischer

Jami Forrester

Randall Furash-Stewart

Jayme Gafford

Nicole Gasparik

Heaven Gomez

Andrew Gordon

Donna Gustafson

Evelyn Homan

Jeanette Hooks

Andrew Hutchinson

Andrea Jandt

Lindsay Kahoe

Samantha Keaton

Bridget Kaiser-Munday

Kennady Longhurst

Jeffrey Maendel

Laura McFarren

Amanda Meyer

Austin Migoski

Lindsay Miller

Katrina Neubrandt

Rachel Newman

Jackie Osborne

Beth Oswald

Michelle Palmer

Patrick Pavelchik

Victoria Pierce

Samantha Rumbaugh

Amanda Runkel

Anne Schmitt

Tiffany Smith

Tracy Son

Donna Stark

Adeline Steger

Adam Sturm

John Suter

Rachel Tate

Hailey Thomas

Deborah Torrens

Sam Westerdale

Holly Wittwer

Daryl Workman

Bryon Wren

Kymberli Wregglesworth

Nicole Wright

Blanche Wulfekoetter

Greg Yarnall

iCivics Youth Fellowship Marks its Seventh Year

Posted on by Sophie Gordon

The iCivics Youth Fellowship helps students from across the country build civic leadership skills and explore how they can help make civic education relevant and accessible to all young people.

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. [October 17, 2025] – Earlier this year, iCivics selected 34 talented high school students from across the country to take part in the iCivics Youth Fellowship. The students were selected after a competitive process that garnered over 500 applicants from 46 states and Washington, D.C.

The yearlong fellowship helps students develop leadership and communications skills as they collaborate with their peers and learn from experts in the field of civic education. Throughout the year, students research and explore youth engagement in civic spaces and the state of civic education across the United States. Fellows utilize their own lived experiences to become ambassadors for civic education and shed light on how civics can include student voices from every background.

The fellowship kicked off in August and moved into full gear with an in-person symposium in Washington, D.C., at the end of September.

“The Washington D.C. Symposium is a foundational experience for the Youth Fellows,” said iCivics Associate Director of Youth Engagement, Troy Petrie. “For some, it’s the first time traveling on their own. For most, it’s the first time they get to engage with viewpoints and perspectives different from their own. For all of the fellows, it’s a realization that we have more in common than we do apart. That’s exactly what the Youth Fellowship is all about.”

The fellowship will run through the 2025–26 school year, during which fellows will engage in virtual group discussions, workshops, and lectures with experts in the field, and undertake projects designed to strengthen their listening and collaborative skills. The fellows’ work centers around ensuring that civic education is available and relevant to all students in the United States.

Over the past seven years, students from across the country, representing rural, urban, and suburban school districts, have participated in the fellowship and become an integral part of informing the broader civic education movement. Fellows and alumni have shared their experiences and thoughts at convenings for the Educating for American Democracy initiative, Ronald Reagan Institute, Civic Learning Week, Commonwealth Club, and Andrew Goodman Foundation. They have been featured in media such as The Wall Street Journal, Chicago Tribune, and WBUR in Boston.

iCivics is proud to announce this year’s participants:

Arizona

Arkansas

California

Kosomak L.

Athena C.

Maxine P.

Colorado

Florida

Georgia

Lorenzo W.

Justin C.

Frank U.

Dante E.

Naomi L.

Illinois

Iowa

Kentucky

Jackson T.

Jocelyn M.

Katherine H.

Ava June T.

Maine

Maryland

Michigan

William C.

Makayli G.

Raizel H.

Rebecca M.

Logan S.

Minnesota

Missouri

New Jersey

Fatima A.

Abdullahi H.

Ridhima K.

Kayla H.

New York

Ohio

Pennsylvania 

Eva F.

Summer H.

Camryn H.

Charlie L.

Landon F.

Miguel R. M.

Tennessee

Texas

Utah

Majdi A.

Marco M.

Wyatt H.

Lahpo K.

Virginia

Wisconsin

Alumni Mentors

Jacqueline A.

Ayden B.

Ethan W.

Liana A. ‘23 (ME)

Addison A. ‘23 (LA)

Imre H. ‘24 (OH)

Anvitha M. ‘21 (CA)

Bradley M. ‘24 (CA)

Carina M. ‘24 (WA)

Fola O. ‘23 (MI)

Tanner O. ‘24 (NM)

iCivics Investigation Declaration Game Wins GEE! Award

Posted on by Sophie Gordon

iCivics’ newest game, Investigation Declaration, won the Formal Learning category at the annual GEE! Learning Game Awards, which recognize excellence in educational game design.

Winners were announced on Aug. 21 at the Play Make Learn Conference, which is hosted by the UW-Madison School of Education’s Department of Curriculum and Instruction and the office of Professional Learning and Community Education (PLACE).

“Play Make Learn is a fantastic opportunity to gather with folks that share a desire to create really great experiences for all kinds of learners,” said Senior Director of Digital Learning Carrie Ray-Hill. “It was incredible to hear our game announced as a winner.”

The game, developed in partnership with The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, challenges middle and high school students to track how Enlightenment ideas informed the Declaration of Independence, which then went on to influence declarations of rights and freedoms abroad. Its design takes notes from classic games such as Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? and includes puzzle and strategy elements of more modern games like Case of the Golden Idol and Return of the Obra Dinn. This complexity aims to help students discover how the ideas that influenced and shaped the Declaration of Independence went on to shape global history.

According to the official announcement, Investigation Declaration impressed judges with its aesthetic, engagement, gameplay, and accessibility features. One judge noted, “I found this a clever way of drawing connections across history. Too often we learn about one country’s perspective, not realizing the global context.”

“I was glad to see the judges appreciated Investigation Declaration’s gameplay,” Ray-Hill said. “We intentionally designed it to embrace student discovery. Players may figure out how the game works before their teachers, and that’s okay! The game gives them the freedom to play through one ‘path’ or several, empowering them to create their own narrative.”

New online game from iCivics and The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation teaches how the Declaration of Independence inspired a wave of global change

Posted on by Sophie Gordon

WILLIAMSBURG, Va. (Aug. 25, 2025) – iCivics and The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation have released a new online game that shows middle- and high-school students how the Declaration of Independence captured the ideas of the Enlightenment and inspired movements toward freedom and democracy across the Atlantic world during the 18th and 19th centuries. 

Investigation Declaration takes place in an alternate time and space where an international crime conglomerate has hacked the fictional Bureau of Ideas, corrupting every file related to freedom, democracy, and individual rights. Players take the role of “Agent 6” as they pursue the origins of these files and discover how ideas spread throughout the Atlantic world in the 100 years following the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. 

As students restore the corrupted files, they discover how the ideas of natural rights, state sovereignty, and the social contract spread from Colonial Williamsburg, Paris, and Philadelphia to Haiti, Liberia, and beyond to inspire a wave of declarations of freedom and rights.

Created collaboratively by The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation and iCivics, the game takes notes from classic games such as Where in the World is Carmen San Diego? and includes puzzle and strategy elements of more modern games like Case of the Golden Idol and Return of the Obra Dinn. This complexity aims to help students discover how the ideas that influenced and shaped the Declaration of Independence went on to shape global history. This innovative approach to educational game-making earned Investigation Declaration the prestigious 2025 GEE! Award in the Formal Games category.

Investigation Declaration, which is being released in the lead-up to the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, merges the game-building expertise of iCivics and the research and education expertise of The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. Inspired by historian David Armitage’s 2007 book, The Declaration of Independence: A Global History, the team looked at the U.S. Declaration as an event, a document, and a genre to be adopted and adapted by people in the years after 1776. Investigation Declaration won the prestigious 2025 winner of the prestigious GEE! Awards

“Colonial Williamsburg is always looking for new ways to bring our unique brand of history education to as many students as possible,” said The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation’s Senior Vice President of Education Mia Nagawiecki. “Thanks to our partnership with iCivics, we have extended our reach beyond our physical location and even our significant web presence to reach kids where they are and through a medium that excites them.”

Investigation Declaration represents an evolution in style for iCivics games, which has led the education gaming industry since its founding in 2009. To meet a new generation of gamers, it uses learn-as-you-play strategies employed by some of the world’s most popular games, such as Fortnite and Roblox. It challenges players to discover game elements as they explore the in-game world, which allows for a multitude of player-based paths through the experience.

“Investigation Declaration moves beyond the norms of classic iCivics gameplay to meet the moment in both gaming and civics instruction,” iCivics CEO Louise Dubé said. “The goal of iCivics has always been to meet young people where they are to teach them the complicated ideas behind our constitutional democracy. If we’re going to carry out that critical mission, we must continue to evolve.”

Teachers who use Investigation Declaration can track their efforts and enter the Civic Star Challenge to win prizes for their students and schools. 

The game is offered in English and Spanish and includes robust educator support materials designed to inspire deeper learning, engagement, and conversation in classrooms.