“The consent of the governed” is a foundational principle upon which our nation’s government is built. The “just powers” of our 1787 Constitution were directly legitimized by ratification of the people in pathbreaking citizen conventions. Today the freedoms we hold dear are embodied in rules and laws we democratically have a voice in crafting.
The 1787 Prize brings those citizen voices back to center stage. It recognizes the best annual student essay on the US Constitution’s past, present, and future relevance by exploring how our written principles align with this vision of citizen engagement. National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) is accepting submissions to The 1787 Prize from students in grades 11 and 12.
The First Amendment protects five key rights—Freedom of Religion, Freedom of Speech, Freedom of the Press, Freedom of Assembly, and Freedom to Petition the Government—in just 45 words, a brevity that has fueled centuries of debate over the amendment’s meaning.
The 2026–2027 essay prompt has two parts:
Part 1 asks students to rewrite each of the five rights in their own words (two to three sentences per right). Students should stay true to the spirit and intent of the founders but write the freedom as if they were drafting the right for today. Although their rewrite of each right should be brief, students also need to include one to two paragraphs for each right explaining their reasoning and how they arrived at their modern phrasing.
Part 2 asks students to propose one additional right they believe belongs in the First Amendment. In two to three sentences, they should state the right and defend why it deserves the same protection as the original five.
Students must complete both parts for full credit.
The 1787 Prize is open to all students in grades 11 and 12. An essay may have up to three student co-authors. The contest website provides the full essay requirements. One award will be announced in the amount of $2,500. The $2,500 prize amount will be split among any co-authors.
The 1787 Prize essay contest opened for submissions on September 17, in honor of Constitution Day. The contest timeline follows:
March 31, 2027: Essays are due to NCSS by 11:59 p.m. Hawaii Standard Time.
April–May 2027: The 1787 Prize selection committee reviews all essays.
June 2027: The 1787 Prize winner is announced.