MIHS junior Summer Brondstetter Advances to National Finals of the Presidential 1776 Award

Summer Brondstetter competing at the Regional Semifinal competition of the Presidential 1776 Award on May 2

Mercer Island, WA, May 12, 2026 – MIHS junior Summer Brondstetter has advanced to the national finals of the Presidential 1776 Award, a nationwide civics competition recognizing exceptional student knowledge of American history, the founding era, and the United States Constitution, hosted by the U.S. Department of Education.

After advancing through the preliminary competition and Regional Semifinals, Summer will now compete in the national finals in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday, June 9, 2026, alongside top student competitors from across the country. Twenty (20) finalists, representing the top four students from each region, and one alternate, have advanced to the National Finals, to take place at the Trump Kennedy Center. During the National Finals, students will answer short-answer, verbal questions. The top three finalists will win $250,000 in scholarship prizes.

More than 8,000 high school students from all 50 states and territories signed up for the qualifying Impossible Civics Test. Students and families from across the country traveled to the five regional sites to support the students competing in the Regional Semifinals. The competition brought together top-performing students to demonstrate their knowledge of the Constitution, the American founding, and key moments in our nation’s history.

About the Presidential 1776 Award

The Presidential 1776 Award is a nationwide competition recognizing exceptional student knowledge of the American founding. This award program establishes a national scholarship contest that evaluates students’ civic understanding and the principles that shaped the United States.

The Presidential 1776 Award competition unfolds in three distinct stages designed to identify and celebrate high school students’ knowledge of America’s founding:

• In Round One, held during the week of February 22 to 28, 2026, students competed in The Impossible Civics Test, an online, timed, electronically proctored multiple-choice exam. This served as the qualifying round, and four finalists from each state were selected to advance to Round Two.
• In Round Two, held on May 2, 2026, the state finalists competed in one of five in-person Regional Semifinal competitions. During these verbal competitions, students answered short-answer questions that tested their understanding of the Constitution, the American founding, and key moments in our nation’s history. The top four students from each region will move on to the National Final.
• Round Three, the National Final, will take place in Washington, D.C. on June 9, 2026. Students will answer short-answer verbal questions and will be awarded a point for each correct answer. The top three winners receive scholarships of up to $150,000.