NDNY-FCBA
Constitutional 
Scholars 
Program


NINTH ANNUAL
CONSTITUTION CONTEST

OFFERING UP TO $4,500 IN PRIZE MONEY
TO HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IN
THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK

PROUD TO HAVE AWARDED A TOTAL OF $26,100 IN PRIZE MONEY
 TO 126 STUDENTS FROM 23 HIGH SCHOOLS OVER PAST 8 YEARS  

SubjectThe origin and nature of an aspect of the U.S. Constitution, specifically, one of the four topics listed on this website's Topics page.

Who Is EligibleAll students in grades 9 through 12 (whether in public, private, parochial, charter, or home schools) located in the 32 counties that constitute the Northern District of New York.* There is no entry fee but each student may submit only one entry per annual contest.

Rules: 
    1.    Each entry must regard one of the four topics listed on the Topics page, and answer all            of the questions posed by that topic.
    2.    Each entry must be the entrant’s original work.
    3.    Each entry must be submitted in one of two categories
                (a) the Poster Category; or
                (b) the Video Essay Category.
    4.    Posters may be in any medium (paper or digital) but must be submitted in PDF format.
    5.    Video Essays may be up to ten (10) minutes in duration but must be posted on                       YouTube

Method of Submission: A PDF of the poster or a link to the YouTube video must be emailed to the Program Director, Michael G. Langan, Esq., at director@constitutionalscholars.org. The body of the email must include the following information: the entrant's name, school, grade, email address, mailing address, telephone number, and topic. The entrant’s name may not appear on the poster or in the video.

Due Date: Entries are due by the end of Thursday, July 4, 2024. No entries will be accepted after midnight.

JudgingBy a panel of three federal court judges based on the extent that the entry’s answers to the questions posed in the topic are complete, clear, and cogent. All decisions are final. Results will be announced by the end of Tuesday, September 17, 2024 ("Constitution Day")

Prizes: In each category, First Place will receive $1,000Second Place will receive $400Third Place will receive $100, and Honorable Mention will receive $25. Winning entries become the non-exclusive property of the Program for one year following submission, and videos must remain posted on YouTube during the judging period.

*     These are the 32 counties that constitute the Northern District of New York: Albany, Broome, Cayuga, Chenango, Clinton, Columbia, Cortland, Delaware, Essex, Franklin, Fulton, Greene, Hamilton, Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Madison, Montgomery, Oneida, Onondaga, Oswego, Otsego, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie, St. Lawrence, Tioga, Tompkins, Ulster, Warren and Washington.