National Finals: April 13-15, 2024

Prepare to be amazed as high school students from across the nation showcase their knowledge of the U.S. Constitution and American government. Now in its fifth decade, the National Finals serves as an exciting finale to students' We the People educational journey. The competition utilizes Simulated Congressional Hearings and typically features 48 teams, each representing their respective states.

Watch the Recording of the 2024 Awards Ceremony

2024 National Champions

Congratulations to the 2024 We the People National Finals first place team, Grant High School from Portland, Oregon!

Learn More About All the Award Winners

Information for Teams & Teachers

Congratulations on reaching the pinnacle of civic education and earning your spot in the We the People National Finals. This is where your journey to become informed and engaged citizens reaches its most exciting chapter!

Here, you will find a collection of essential documents about the competition's structure and the agenda for the National Finals weekend. More information will be added as we get closer to the weekend, so check back here often for updates.

Who is Participating in 2024

Arizona
- Winner: Corona del Sol High School—Tempe, AZ
  Teacher: Alison Rund
- Wildcard: Hamilton High School—Chandler, AZ
  Teacher: Brianna Willits
California
- Winner: Amador Valley High School—Pleasanton, CA
  Teacher: Stacey Sklar
- Wildcard: Foothill High School—Pleasanton, CA
  Teacher: Graham McBride, Jeremy Detamore
- Open: Centennial High School—Bakersfield, CA
  Teacher: Joseph Biron
Colorado
- Winner: East High School—Denver, CO
  Teacher: Mandy Hostetter
- John Lewis Class: Overland High School—Aurora, CO
  Teacher: Kelly Jones-Wagy
Connecticut
- Winner: Trumbull High School—Trumbull, CT
  Teacher: Katie Boland
- Wildcard: Staples High School—Westport, CT
  Teacher: Suzanne Kammerman
Florida
- Winner: Hialeah Gardens Senior High School—Hialeah Gardens, FL
  Teacher: Dr. Derrick Johnson
Illinois
- Winner: Maine South High School—Park Ridge, IL
  Teacher: Leah Politi / Co-Teachers: Kevin Hansen, Andy Trenkle
- Wildcard: St Joseph-Ogden High School—Saint Joseph, IL
  Teacher: Marshall Schacht
Indiana
- Winner: Hamilton Southeastern High School—Fishers, IN
  Teacher: Janet Chandler
- Wildcard: Plainfield High School—Plainfield, IN
  Teacher: Adam Ferguson
Kentucky
- Winner: Highlands High School—Fort Thomas, KY
  Teacher: Megan Boimann-Hennies
Maryland
- Winner: Boonsboro High School—Boonsboro, MD
  Teacher: Ashley Vascik
Massachusetts
- Winner: Easthampton High School—Easthampton, MA
  Teacher: Kelley Brown / Co-Teacher: Taylor Dadmun
Michigan
- Winner: East Kentwood High School—Kentwood, MI
  Teacher: Justin Robbins
- Wildcard: Pioneer High School—Ann Arbor, MI
  Teacher: Alex Constantelos
Nevada
- Winner: Reno High School—Reno, NV
  Teacher: Richard Clark
- Wildcard: Incline High School—Incline Village, NV
  Teacher: Milton Hyams
- Open: West Career and Technical Academy—Las Vegas, NV
  Teacher: Ryan Handlon
New Hampshire
- Winner: Hollis Brookline High School—Hollis, NH
  Teacher: Trevor Duval, Justin Ballou
New Jersey
- Winner: East Brunswick High School—East Brunswick, NJ
  Teacher: Marc Mondry
- Wildcard: Marlboro High School—Marlboro, NJ
  Teacher: Eric Yang
New Mexico
- Winner: Cottonwood Classical Preparatory School—Albuquerque, NM
  Teacher: William Torres
New York
- Winner: James Madison High School—Brooklyn, NY
  Teacher: Jeffrey Roth / Co-Teachers: Stacey Azoff, Robin Kovat, Marla Rutter
- Wildcard: Half Hollow Hills High School East—Dix Hills, NY
  Teacher: David Pitman
North Dakota
- Winner: Edgeley High School—Edgeley, ND
  Teacher: Melissa K. Entzi
Ohio
- Winner: Findlay High School—Findlay, OH
  Teacher: Mark Dickman, Austin Fox
Oregon
- Winner: Lincoln High School—Portland, OR
  Teacher: Patrick Magee-Jenks
- Wildcard: Grant High School—Portland, OR
  Teacher: Angela DiPasquale
Rhode Island
- Winner: North Smithfield High School—North Smithfield, RI
  Teacher: Natalie O'Brien
South Carolina
- Winner: River Bluff High School—Lexington, SC
  Teacher: Linsy H. Dooley / Co-Teachers: Mike Burgess, Emily Robbins
South Dakota
- Winner: Spearfish High School—Spearfish, SD
  Teacher: Patrick Gainey
Utah
- Winner: Green Canyon / Sky View High Schools—North Logan, UT / Smithfield, UT
  Teacher: Mike Rigby, Andrea Thompson
Virginia
- Winner: Douglas S. Freeman High School—Henrico, VA
  Teacher: Robert Peck
- Wildcard: Glen Allen High School—Glen Allen, VA
  Teacher: Ryan Conway, Schuyler Van Valkenburg
- Open: Maggie L. Walker Governor's School for Government and International Studies—Richmond, VA
  Teacher: Samuel Ulmschneider
Washington
- Winner: Tahoma High School—Maple Valley, WA
  Teacher: Gretchen Wulfing
- Wildcard: Bellarmine Preparatory School—Tacoma, WA
  Teacher: Ken Brown
Washington, District of Columbia
- Winner: National Cathedral School—Washington, D.C.
  Teacher: David Sahr
West Virginia
- Winner: Robert C Byrd High School—Clarksburg, WV
  Teacher: Greg Phillips
- Wildcard: Clay County High School—Clay, WV
  Teacher: Ron Starcher
Wisconsin
- Winner: Wauwatosa West High School—Wauwatosa, WI
  Teacher: Chad Mateske
- Wildcard: Wauwatosa East High School—Wauwatosa, WI
  Teacher: Michael Aronow
Wyoming
- Winner: Sheridan High School—Sheridan, WY
  Teacher: Michael Thomas
- Wildcard: Cheyenne South High School—Cheyenne, WY
  Teacher: Erin Lindt

Once again, congratulations on this remarkable achievement. We are excited to see you and your students at the We the People National Finals, where we'll celebrate knowledge, critical thinking, and the enduring values of democracy together!

Important Forms for Teachers

Important Information for Teachers

2024 National Finals Hearing Schedule
(Saturday & Sunday)
2024 National Finals Division List
(with Hearing Time Windows)

Travel Details

All student travel arrangements will be coordinated through WorldStrides. For comprehensive travel information and to initiate planning your class trip to Washington, D.C., please visit the WorldStrides National Finals Event Page.

About the Hearings

Students' opening statements are four minutes long and may include student notes.
Judges' follow-up questioning on Saturday and Sunday lasts eight minutes; on Monday (top 10), it extends to 10 minutes. During follow-up questioning, students may not use notes.

About Scoring

The scoring team tabulates electronically submitted score sheets from judges, each with five categories. Each category is worth ten points for a maximum score of 50 points per sheet.
Each unit is assessed by three judges, with the highest possible unit score being 150 points.
Classes qualify for the top 10 based on combined scores from the first two days, advancing to round 3 on Monday.
The national winner is determined by doubling the third-day scores and adding them to the total scores for the first two days.

Still Have Questions?

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Emily Voss or Rebecca Reeder by email. They can assist you or direct you to additional resources.