FORT WORTH, TEXAS – Grace Floring of Delaware, Ohio, an 18-year old high school senior, earned top honors for Best High School Public Service Announcement in Constituting America’s “We the Future” contest.
As a national winner, Grace will join other winners on a trip to Hollywood, CA, to meet with a mentor in her field, get a private behind-the-scenes tour of Disney Studios, dine with a constitutional scholar and be awarded a $1,000 scholarship.
Grace, who is a Senior at Rutherford B. Hayes High School, will be attending Case Western University in the Fall as an Aerospace Engineering major. Grace says her dad memorizing the Constitution was the inspiration for her winning PSA, entitled “Constitute This!”
“A few years ago my dad made it a personal goal to memorize the Constitution. He bought a pocket version and carried it around. How current events relate to the Constitution comes up quite a bit at the dinner table as a result. So for me, the Constitution has been part of the conversation frequently at home,” Floring said.
Winners from other categories will also participate in the summer mentor trip to meet with industry experts who help students develop their skills and career potential in their individual talent category. Students will also dine with a Constitutional scholar. All winners enjoy national exposure via press and the Constituting America website. Entries are judged by an esteemed panel of judges. Winners in each category are awarded prizes including $1,000 for high school winners, $2,000 for college & graduate school winners, gift cards for younger winners, mentoring trips and national publicity.
Janine Turner (Northern Exposure, Cliffhanger, Friday Night Lights), founder and co-chair of Constituting America with Cathy Gillespie, uses her expertise in the media to promote civic-minded students’ talents.
“As a filmmaker – actress, director, writer, and singer – I am not only thrilled but impressed by our winners like Grace this year. They are truly, incredibly talented and I know we will be seeing their names and works in lights soon – and thanks to Constituting America – with a citizen’s commitment too,” Turner said.
“Creating is one of the most effective ways for students to learn. We constantly hear from students across the country that entering our contest taught them more about the Constitution than they ever learned in a classroom,” said Co-chair Gillespie, former Chief of Staff to a member of the U.S. House and a past Commissioner on the President’s Commission on White House Fellows.
Founded in 2010 by Janine Turner and co-chaired by Janine and Cathy Gillespie, Constituting America is a non-profit, non-partisan organization whose mission is to utilize the culture and multi-media outreach such as music, film, television, internet, and social media to reach, educate and inform America’s adults and students about the non-partisan relevancy of the U.S. Constitution and the foundation it sets forth regarding our freedoms and rights. Their multi-tiered approach features the “We The Future Contest,” Winner Mentor Trips and Winner Promotion, “The George Washington Speaking Initiative for Schools and Civic organizations,” the annual “90 in 90” Day On-line Founding Document Studies with Constitutional Scholars, The Fellows Program, the Constituting America Lecture Events and Patriot Clubs. National Youth Director Juliette Turner reaches youth across America with her bestselling book, Our Constitution Rocks!, and motivational speeches, videos and media interviews.
