What’s patriotic, educational, and might win students big money for both themselves and their teachers?

The “Being an American” essay contest is open, for the first time, to every high school student in the nation. My seniors participated in the first two trial years and three of them won cash awards, including one first place prize. Sponsored by the non-profit organization The Bill of Rights Institute, the contest is designed to heighten awareness among students and teachers of the relevance of our country’s founding documents.