Michael Patrick Leahy, CEO and editor-in-chief of The Tennessee Star, announced the relaunch of the National Constitution Bee, a scholarship competition for students in grades 8 through 12 centered on the U.S. Constitution.
The Constitution Bee, first launched in 2017, awards a $10,000 scholarship to the winner.
The competition is divided into three rounds. The first is the Preamble Round, where students creatively interpret the 52 words of the Constitution’s Preamble in 60 seconds. Prizes awarded for the Preamble Round include Most Creative, Most Persuasive, and Most Entertaining presentations.
Following the Preamble Round is the Elimination Round, a more traditional quiz-style segment where contestants answer fact-based questions organized by difficulty: easy, moderate, and challenging. This round narrows the field to the top six competitors.
The final stage is the Championship Round, beginning with the six top students delivering three-minute oral responses to high-level essay questions. Three finalists then face a final set of tough fact-based questions to determine the Grand Champion, as well as the second- and third-place winners.
All participants receive certificates, while the top three receive scholarships — $10,000 for first place, $5,000 for second, and $2,500 for third — in addition to trophies and letters of recommendation from the judges.
The competition utilizes The Guide to the Constitution and Bill of Rights for Secondary School Students, a book co-authored by Leahy and Claudia Henneberry, which offers a historical overview of the U.S. Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and the people and debates that shaped them.
The book also includes discussion prompts, a glossary, and the full text of the Constitution and all 27 amendments from an originalist perspective — interpreting the document based on its meaning at the time it was ratified.
A new printing of The Guide to the Constitution and Bill of Rights for Secondary School Students will be published next month, with updates particularly focused on the Second Amendment and includes Second Amendment updates reflecting the Supreme Court’s 2022 Bruen decision.
On his talk radio show, The Michael Patrick Leahy Show, Leahy shared details for the October 2026 competition, which will take place at the SpringHill Suites by Marriott in Brentwood.
“The reason for the relaunch for October of 2026 for the competition is there is a golden era in America. There is a rebirth in the interest in the Constitution among young people…We’re very excited about it,” Leahy said.
For more information about the 2026 National Constitution Bee scholarship competition, visit nationalconstitutionbee.org/.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
