Twenty high school students are competing this week for as much as $150,000 in scholarship money through the Presidential 1776 Award.
The contest is part of the Trump administration's effort to promote patriotism for America's 250th birthday.
Students expressed mixed feelings about participating, with some questioning what patriotism means when they disagree with government leaders.
AI-generated summary was reviewed by a CNN editor.
Earlier this year, Ishant Jawali, a 16-year-old from Raleigh, North Carolina, was scrolling on Instagram when he stumbled upon a little-known way to win money for college: The Trump administration was putting on a national civics contest for America’s 250th birthday.
