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Project CivicsWorks presentation rules (adapted from National History Fair)

• Projects will be assessed on the strength of the argument and supporting evidence that the proposed institutional reform at the national, state or local level of government will reinvigorate the identified founding ideal.
• Students may only enter one project a year. Students may work individually or with up to one other student on the project. Sharing research between multiple projects is not allowed.
• Plagiarism in the projects is not allowed and could result in disqualification.
• A full bibliography (not annotated) should be included as a slide for citations of all sourced material.  
• Presentation slides should not include student names or school identification. This information will be posted separately for presentations published in the e-Showcase. Deadline: Sun, May 14, 2023.  

Project Guidelines

• Up to 10 presentation slides (including a title slide and works cited) should present information with a logical flow in which titles and subtitles should be used to help the reader identify:

1.) The main argument and thesis in which a reality in American government and politics falls short of a democratic ideal your proposal for a reform that could restore this founding principle.
2.) More detailed description of the reform and its intended outcome that is supported with relevant evidence that justifies the claim.
-  Support should include at least one reference to a US founding document (Declaration of Independence; Articles of Confederation; Brutus I; U.S. Constitution; Federalist 10; Federalist 51; Federalist70; Federalist 78; and MLK's Letter from a Birmingham Jail.) 
3.) Description of the process of implementing the institutional reform including potential obstacles to implementing the reform.
- Use academic research and/or connect with professors who have studied similar reforms.
- Collect survey information and/or speak with leaders who would be affected by reforms or who could help implement reforms.
4.) Describe an opposing argument and a response that refutes this argument.
- Include potential obstacles to implementing this reform.
- Include a description of the opposition's argument and your response to this opposition.
5.) Works cited.
​- Cite all sources (including visuals) in a full bibliography.
- Minimum citations: Reference to at least 1 of the 9 foundational documents; 2 academic and/or governmental leadership sources; 1 visual of data or infographic. Optional: Survey information. 

• Limit of two projects per civics teacher. E-Showcase Deadline: Sun, May 14, 2023. Civics teachers should email pdfs of the presentation slides to andy@mikvachallenge.org with student and school information. Complimentary "Democracy is a Verb." t-shirts for the first 20 eligible projects submitted.  ​

Timeline

• Civics teachers can email pdfs of the slides for their students' Project CivicsWorks displays to andy@mikvachallenge.org by Sun, May 14, 2023. 
• Up to two Project CivicsWorks displays per teacher.
• Mikva Challenge "Democracy is a Verb." t-shirts for the first 20 eligible displays received.
• Project CivicsWorks e-Showcase on Tue, May 16, 2023.

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