America250’s 2026 America’s Field Trip program awarded 250 students.
The nationwide contest invited students in grades 3 through 12 to respond creatively to the question, “What does America mean to you?” A panel of current and former educators selected the awardees from student writing and artwork submitted across the country.
The 250-awardee total deliberately echoed the semiquincentennial milestone. Of the recipients, 125 received first-place awards that included field trips to important historic, cultural, or natural landmarks. Another 125 second-place awardees received cash prizes.
The 2026 class represented 42 states, three U.S. territories, and the District of Columbia. The program expanded on earlier America’s Field Trip contests and gave young people a direct role in telling the story of the United States during its 250th anniversary year.