Braeden Farley of Spring Hill, Tennessee Named National Constitution Bee Grand Champion for 2021

Braeden Farley, a home schooled senior from Spring Hill, Tennessee, won the 2021 National Constitution Bee held Saturday at the Spring Hill Suites by Marriott in Brentwood.

Senior Braeden Farley of Spring Hill, Tennessee took home the Grand Champion prize of a $10,000 education scholarship. Braeden is the second in his family to bring home the Grand Champion prize. In 2017, Braeden’s older brother Noah Farley won the Grand Championship at The Tennessee Star Constitution Bee.

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Students from Across Tennessee and the Country Vie for The National Constitution Bee Grand Championship on Saturday

  BRENTWOOD, Tennessee – The National Constitution Bee is set to convene Saturday, as students from across the state and the country gather in Brentwood to test their knowledge of the United States Constitution and the Bill of Rights. At stake is the title of Grand Champion and a prize package that includes a $10,000 education scholarship which may be applied to college or university, or trade school programs. National Constitution Bee Executive Director Claudia Hennenberry said the event is a great way for students to gain knowledge of the Constitution and a free society. “The National Constitution Bee is for students who love the Constitution and Bill of Rights and are looking to challenge themselves – as well as earn scholarship dollars to help fund the next step in their education,” Hennenberry said. 2021 marks the fifth year for the competition to be held at the SpringHill Suites by Marriott in Brentwood, Tennessee, on October 23. While contestants are primarily high school students, The National Constitution Bee website says that “ambitious students in grades 8, 9, and 10 are welcome as well.” Students compete in person vying for six separate titles – each with its own prize package. The…

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The 2020 National Constitution Bee Grand Champion Declared

This year’s annual National Constitution Bee Grand Champion was senior high school student Jackson Carter. He received the $10,000 educational scholarship from the Star News Education Foundation. Carter plans on attending the University of Alabama, where he hopes to double major in communications studies and economics.

The event took place at the SpringHill Suites by Marriott in Brentwood, Tennessee. 23 students ranging from eighth to twelfth grade arrived to compete. The Tennessee Star Report host and Guide to the Constitution and the Bill of Rights for Secondary Students co-author Michael Leahy served as the emcee.

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Stewart County Wins 2019 Tennessee Star Constitution Bee High School Team Championship

  Goodlettsville, Tennessee – Stewart County High School won the 2019 Tennessee Star Constitution Bee State High School Championship on Saturday. Kyle Mallory was the faculty advisor who accompanied the team to the event. Lincoln County High School finished in second place, thanks to the strong showing of its one man team, Aryan Burns, who won the Individual Grand Championship . Metro Christian Academy, which hosted the event, finished in third place. Beverly Martin was the faculty advisor who helped prepare the team for the event. Tennessee Volunteer Challenge Academy, finished in fourth place. Dean Nelson was the faculty advisor who championed the team’s participation in the event and accompanied the team to Goodlettsville. Participants from Tennessee Volunteer Challenge Academy – who are considered at-risk youth receiving values, life skills, education and self-discipline necessary to succeed as productive citizens of Tennessee at the Academy – had an impressive showing, considering they had only received the book to begin their studying 24 hours prior to the event. Three additional teams were represented: Franklin Road Academy, Brentwood Middle School, and local home schoolers. Each team was awarded one point for each contestant, one point for winning a Preamble Challenge award, one point for…

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First Stop in Tennessee Star Free Book Tour in Advance of Constitution Bee Held Wednesday at Metro Christian Academy

GOODLETTSVILLE, Tennessee–The Tennessee Star’s Editor-in-Chief and CEO Michael Patrick Leahy kicked off a free book tour on Wednesday afternoon ahead of the Constitution Bee later this month at Metro Christian Academy – the site of this year’s Spring Bee. Leahy spoke to Metro Christian Academy junior and senior high school students about the book he co-authored with Claudia Henneberry and John Harris, The Tennessee Star Guide to the Constitution and the Bill of Rights for Secondary School Students, which forms the basis for all the questions in the Constitution Bee. Every student in attendance received a free copy of the book, which retails for $30.00. This will be the third annual Tennessee Star Constitution Bee. The first was held in 2017 at Sycamore High School of Cheatham County Schools in Pleasant View, Tennessee, and the second was held in 2018 at the Williamson County Administration Building in Franklin, Tennessee. The student who wins the Grand Prize Championship as the top Constitution secondary school student in the state of Tennessee at the April 27 Tennessee Star Constitution Bee will receive an all expenses paid trip to Washington, D.C, along with a parent, plus a $3,000.00 (three thousand) scholarship provided by the Andrew Woodfin Miller Foundation and the Polk Foundation to apply to the…

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Commentary: Reflecting on Our Bill of Rights

Regardless of personal political persuasion or affiliation, American citizens can unite around the Bill of Rights because it communicates our basic shared values. Limiting the power of government and safeguarding the rights of our citizens is something we must all make a conscientious effort to protect. We should be especially appreciative for the protection afforded in our Bill of Rights against a national government gaining ground against our most fundamental rights—freedom of speech, protest, and conscience guarantees our equal protection under the law. A free society does not just occur. Eternal vigilance is the price of freedom.

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The Tennessee Star Launches Constitution Series for Secondary School Students, Teachers and Parents

Tennessee Star

  FRANKLIN, Tennessee – The Tennessee Star announced today it is publishing the first of twenty-five weekly articles in its Constitution Series for secondary school students, teachers and parents tomorrow, Monday, April 3. “The idea behind this series is to present the important story of our Constitution to Tennessee secondary students in grades 8 through 12 in a compelling way that will engage them on both an intellectual and emotional level,” says Christina Botteri, managing editor of The Star. “Each week we will advance the narrative of the Constitution in chronological order. Along the way, secondary students can use these articles as a guide to prepare for The Tennessee Star’s Constitution Bee, which we will hold in Middle Tennessee on September 23,” she adds. “Students will compete at that event to win first, second, and third place honors at each grade level. So each grade – 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th – will have a champion. In addition, the grade level champions will compete to become The Overall Champion of The Tennessee Star’s Constitution Bee. The winner and overall champion, along with a parent, will win a grand prize of a trip to Washington, D.C.,” Botteri says. “About a dozen Tennesseans with experience in…

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Professional Educators of Tennessee to Sponsor The Tennessee Star Constitution Bee

Professional Educators of Tennessee announced on Monday they will be sponsoring The Tennessee Star’s Constitution Bee. “It is vital that we rediscover the importance of our Constitution, and pass it along to the next generation,” J.C. Bowman, executive director of Professional Educators of Tennessee, tells The Star. “We think a Constitution Bee is a good step to encourage that effort. The preservation of our liberties is an ongoing battle, something our Founders understood,” Bowman says. The event, to be held on Saturday, September 23 at a venue in Middle Tennessee still to be selected, is open to all secondary students in grades 8 through 12 who live in Tennessee. It is designed to focus on student knowledge of the Constitution and civics in the same way as the National Spelling Bee and the National Geography Bee. The top three students in each grade (8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th) will receive small cash prizes and be featured in profiles at The Tennessee Star. The five champions of the different grade levels will then compete for the title of Overall Champion of The Tennessee Star’s Constitution Bee. That overall champion, and a parent, will win a trip to Washington, D.C. Judges…

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