East Brunswick High School Student Represents NJ At National Competition

EAST BRUNSWICK, NJ — A student from East Brunswick High School recently represented New Jersey at a nationwide competition.

Aarav Dhar participated in the Region 1 Competition of the U.S. Department of Education’s Presidential 1776 Award Regional Semifinals, which took place on Saturday, May 2.

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According to U.S. Department of Education officials, the Presidential 1776 Award for Civics is a key part of the department’s celebration of America’s 250th birthday.

The award is a nationwide competition that recognizes exceptional student knowledge of the American founding and establishes a national scholarship contest that evaluates students’ civic understanding and the principles that shaped the United States.

All five Regional Semifinal competitions took place simultaneously at the following presidential sites:

• Region 1: John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum (Boston, Massachusetts)
• Region 2: Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum (Atlanta, Georgia)
• Region 3: Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum (Grand Rapids, Michigan)
• Region 4: George W. Bush Presidential Center (Dallas, Texas)
• Region 5: Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum (Yorba Linda, California)

More than 8,000 high school students from all 50 states and territories signed up for the qualifying “Impossible Civics Test,” and students and families from across the country traveled to the five regional sites to support the 173 students competing in the Regional Semifinals.

The competition brought together top-performing students to demonstrate their knowledge of the Constitution, the American founding, and key moments in the nation’s history.

The Presidential 1776 Award competition unfolds in three distinct stages designed to identify and celebrate high school students’ knowledge of America’s founding:

• In Round One, held during the week of February 22-28, 2026, students competed in The Impossible Civics Test, an online, timed, electronically proctored multiple-choice exam. This served as the qualifying round, and four finalists from each state were selected to advance to Round Two.
• In Round Two, held on May 2, 2026, the state finalists competed in one of five in-person Regional Semifinal competitions. During these verbal competitions, students answered short-answer questions that tested their understanding of the Constitution, the American founding, and key moments in our nation’s history. The top four students from each region will move on to the National Final.
• Round Three, the National Final, will take place in Washington, D.C. on June 9, 2026. Students will answer short-answer verbal questions and will be awarded a point for each correct answer. The top three winners receive scholarships of up to $150,000.

To learn more, you can visit the Presidential 1776 Award website.