There has been a lot of controversy surrounding the incursion of Critical Race Theory into public school curriculums. While parents around the nation continue to protest their school boards over the matter, CRT opponents are often accused of having too many complaints and not enough solutions.

One group aims to change that perception by providing an incentive for studious children from across the country to learn about American history and civics.

The Calvin Coolidge Presidential Foundation “is the official foundation dedicated to preserving the legacy and advancing the values of America’s thirtieth president.” They have partnered with Seeking Educational Excellence (SEE) – an educational group “committed to ending identity politics and the social justice agenda” – to present the Coolidge Citizenship Challenge. 

The challenge is being offered to middle and high school students nationwide. Preliminary rounds will be held virtually on September 17-24. Students will compete to win a trip to the finals in Washington D.C. in November.

The Coolidge Foundation and Seeking Educational Excellence invite students in middle school and high schoolers entering ninth or tenth grades to participate in the Coolidge Citizenship Challenge, a nationwide contest on citizenship and civics. Show your knowledge of the United States Constitution, American civics, and President Calvin Coolidge, our country’s thirtieth president!

Our Study Guide and flashcards will help you prepare. The Study Guide has one hundred and eight questions and the answers to each of those questions. For each round of the competition, students will be asked twenty-five questions randomly selected from the Study Guide. The preliminary round of the competition will be virtual, on a Zoom interview call with a single contestant, a contest judge, and a Foundation staff member. The judge will ask the contestant twenty-five questions. A Foundation staff member will score the answers. Preliminary rounds will take place on Zoom September 17-24, 2021.

Top contestants in the preliminary round will be brought to Washington, D.C., along with a parent or guardian, for the final round of competition, a civics-themed tour of our nation’s capital, and the awards ceremony. The final round of the Challenge will take place November 11-13, 2021.

As described in our Study Guide, students may earn extra credit by memorizing and reciting portions of either a speech or a letter written by President Calvin Coolidge, or by reciting the names of the presidents of the United States. For extra credit opportunities, see pages 15 through 18 of our Study Guide.

SEE Executive Director Charles Love says that civics education has been mostly lost to modern students and that could have tragic consequences.

Seeking Educational Excellence Executive Director Charles Love

In the fervent debate over education, civics is being lost. Most high school and college students cannot name their congressman, how a bill becomes law, or the requirements to become president. If this continues, it will be catastrophic for the country and yet, little is being done about it.

Love says it’s important to get students engaged in civic education. Those seeking citizenship on these shores are required to pass stringent civics exams: our own children should be just as knowledgable.

These are important facts about the country and we believe that our children should know as much as the fine immigrants who sacrifice everything to become American citizens.

 We want to create an opportunity to get children interested in civics when they’re young so we created this competition and are offering prizes as an incentive.

It is important for Americans to stand up against the toxic philosophy of Critical Race Theory, but critics are right – we can’t just be against something. It is vital to also provide a truth for people to gravitate towards.

Groups like The Calvin Coolidge Presidential Foundation and SEE are putting words into action and are worthy of our support.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if patriotic “theory” were to begin sweeping the nation as forcefully and quickly as CRT has?

To learn more about the challenge or to register a student, go to: Coolidge Citizenship Challenge.

God Bless America.