Teaching Civics after Election Day
We Declare! Challenge: Civic Learning, History, and Student Voice Amplified
The We Declare! Challenge is back for the 2026/2027 school year! iCivics invites every 8th grade student and educator in Massachusetts to take part in the challenge, a dynamic opportunity to perform a dramatic reading of the document that sparked it all: The Declaration of Independence.
Students will engage with this founding document and step into history by uniting their voices to read, interpret and perform this powerful text on video. To participate, create a video of students from your class reading from the Declaration of Independence. Submit your video to earn a $100 gift card for your class, and the potential for exciting prizes including scholarships.
Five videos will be selected as semi-finalists by a committee of educators and iCivics team members. The finalists will then be judged by a panel of prominent Massachusetts citizens who will select a winner and two runners-up.
The We Declare! Challenge is now open. We look forward to seeing your videos!
Questions? Contact us at [email protected]
We Declare! Challenge Details & Rules
The goal of this challenge is to have as many 8th-grade students across the state as possible engage with the Declaration of Independence by reading and understanding this important foundational document.
Eighth graders are encouraged to bring the Declaration to life in short and creative school-managed videos that feature students reading from the document.
Please see the official Terms and Conditions.
Rules and Guidelines
- Any number of students from the class can read from the Declaration and appear in the video. Not all students appearing in the video must read. Scholarships and per-student prizes are capped at 40 per video
- The full two paragraphs or any portion of them can be read in the video, as long as the video meets the time requirements.
- Video submissions will be scored against a rubric. Points will be given for creativity, clarity, enthusiasm, and originality, but the text of the document must stay intact, e.g., the exact words of the Declaration cannot be changed.
- Student commentary and dialogue can be included at the beginning or the end of the video, but must not interrupt the text of the Declaration.
- Videos must be vetted and submitted by an educator and feature conduct appropriate to a school setting.
- Videos can be filmed in any number of locations appropriate to the content of the Declaration.
Timeline
10/27: Submissions open
6/4: Deadline to submit videos
6/11: Winners announced
Judging Rubric
See the judging rubric here.
See the 2026 We Declare! Challenge Winners
Last year the We Declare! Challenge and iCivics selected three winning videos their creative interpretations of the Declaration of Independence. More than 2,100 eighth grade students from 44 school districts participated, submitting 145 videos from across the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Boston Green Academy in Brighton was named the featured winner, earning the John Hancock Award for Excellence in Civic Expression.
Ashfield Middle School in Brockton received the John & Abigail Adams Award for Civic Leadership.
Amesbury Middle School in Amesbury was honored with the Henry Knox Award for Creative Citizenship.
Implementation Tips & Student Handout
Prizes
Each class that submits an eligible entry will receive a $100 gift card for classroom use.
Winner prizes are as follows:
John Hancock Award for Excellence in Civic Expression
$1,000 scholarship for each 8th grade student in the winning video
$250 for the teacher of the submitting classroom
$250 gift card for each 8th student in the winning video
$1,000 for the school
A school spirit event and prize presentation [Mutually agreed upon with the school]
John & Abigail Adams Award for Civic Leadership
$100 gift card for each 8th grade student in the winning video
$100 for the teacher of the submitting classroom
$500 for the school
$250 for the submitting classroom (for class materials or a celebration)
Henry Knox Award for Creative Citizenship
$100 gift card for each 8th grade student in the winning video
$100 for the teacher of the submitting classroom
$500 for the school
$250 for the submitting classroom (for class materials or a celebration)
NEW! Superlative Prizes
$250 to the submission with the Best Original Music
$250 to the submission with the Best Video Editing
$250 to the submission with the Most Creative Costumes
$250 to the video featuring the Most Historic Sites
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is eligible to enter?
All Massachusetts 8th graders in public, private, and parochial schools.
Is there a cost to enter?
No, the challenge is free to enter.
Is there a limit on how many times our school can enter?
No, enter as many times as you'd like.
Is there a minimum or maximum number of students required to be in the video?
No, but the challenge is to have as many students reading the Declaration as possible, so your video will score higher if more students appear reading or reciting. Scholarships and per-student prizes are capped at 40 per video.
Does every student in the video need to read?
No. Videos will get points for spirit, enthusiasm and participation, but remember the challenge is to get students to read the Declaration. A good rule of thumb is at least 50% of the students appearing in the video should read.
Can we invite students from other grades in our school building to participate?
Yes, their participation may count toward spirit points. However, the classroom and scholarship prizes are for the 8th grade class that submits the video.
Can we add comments about what the Declaration means?
Yes, student interpretation and commentary on the Declaration is encouraged, but it must be done in a way that does not disrupt the reading of text.
Who is running the We Declare! Challenge?
Fidelity Investments and private funders have partnered with iCivics to bring this opportunity to eighth graders in Massachusetts.
Find the We Declare! Challenge Terms and Conditions here
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