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Top Prize Winners Have Been Announced!

Over 30,000 students around the country this fall answered the question, "What civic value do you believe is most essential to being an American?" We greatly appreciate the efforts of educators, parents, and students to participate in the contest. Top prize winners won a trip to Washington, D.C. where they toured our Nation's Capital and met with members of Congress, Pro Football Hall of Fame Cornerback Darell Green, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, and other well-known Americans. A full list of winners with photos and their essays can be found here.

Read about the top prize winners' Awards Program experience and see some pictures of the scheduled events!

First Place Winners:

* David Baker, First Place Winner in the East North Central
* Sapphire Feltner, First Place in the Mountain Region
* Zach Franklin, First Place Winner in the East South Central Region
* Peter Hadar, First Place Winner in the Pacific Region
* Pierce Hansen, First Place Winner in the South Atlantic Region
* Jackson Sittenauer, First Place Winner in the West North Central Region
* Katelyn Stauffer, First Place Winner in the Mid Atlantic Region
* Angela Stevens, First Place Winner in the West South Central Region
* Rebecca Wistrom, First Place Winner in the New England Region

Essay Contest Login:

Justice Thomas' Keynote Remarks to Air on C-SPAN

C-SPAN Logo CSPAN will be airing footage from the Being an American Essay Contest Awards Gala this Wednesday, April 15th, at 8pm EDT.

The Awards Gala was held on Tuesday, March 31st to celebrate the winners of the 2008-2009 Being an American Essay Contest, and featured Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas as the keynote speaker. Justice Thomas spoke of the protection of “this precious but essential commodity” of liberty, how his role in the Supreme Court has changed his life, and that, along with a Bill of Rights, citizens should consider a “Bill of Responsibilities.” Justice Thomas also answered questions from the top prize winners in this year's Essay Contest.

A full transcript of Justice Thomas' remarks can be found here.

Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas Keynotes Awards Gala

Sapphire Feltner with Mark Humphrey, Chairman of the Bill of Rights Institute and Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas delivered the keynote address at the 2008-2009 Being an American Essay Contest Awards Gala on Tuesday, March 31, 2009. He spoke about a variety of topics including his personal experiences as a Justice of the United States Supreme Court and what being an American means to him. Justice Thomas challenged the group of 400 to live out the civic values that the Founders envisioned for America, and that along with a Bill of Rights, citizens should consider a "Bill of Responsibilities." Justice Thomas answered questsion posed by the top prize winners in this year's contest, and personally congratulated each of the students on their achievement.

Photo © 2009 Chas Geer

Pro Football Hall of Fame Cornerback Darrell Green Speaks to Students

Darrell Green

Pro Football Hall of Fame Cornerback Darrell Green spoke to the Top 27 Prize winners of the Being an American Awards Program on March 30, 2009. Mr. Green, a nationally-recognized advocate of education, service and moral development, addressed the student and teacher winners of the Being an American Essay Contest while they were in Washington, DC for the 2-day Awards Program. During the Welcome Breakfast, Mr. Green highlighted the importance of civic participation and congratulated the students on their achievement. A complete bio for Mr. Green can be found here.

What Does Being an American Mean?

What does it mean to be an American? We asked citizens of all types - find out what they said by listening to what Juan Williams, NPR and FoxNews journalist, and others think it means.

Coming Soon! - NBA Washington Wizards' star, Antawn Jamison and Kenny Rogers, American music legend sit down to talk about what being an American means to them.

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