In this provided image, members of Grant High School's constitution team pose for a group photo after winning 3rd place in the "We The People: The Citizen and the Constitution” finals in Bethesda, Md., on April 19, 2026.
Courtesy of Abigail Isles / Courtesy of Abigail Isles
Grant High School and Lincoln High School, both located in Portland, finished in third and sixth place, respectively, at this year’s “We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution” national finals.
Angela DiPasquale, the team’s advisor and social studies teacher at Grant High School, reflected on the team’s performance on a national stage.
“I couldn’t be more pleased with all they learned and showcased over the last three days,” Dipasquale said. “It’s such a privilege to get together with students from across the country who are all working together, with the goal of learning about our country.”
During the annual three-day competition, hundreds of students from around the nation demonstrated their knowledge of the U.S. Constitution, government, and Supreme Court decisions by arguing historical and contemporary constitutional issues.
Portland’s Grant High School took home the state title earlier this year to advance to the finals in Maryland.
The team last won the national championship in 2024. Lincoln High School, also in Portland, finished second at the state competition, making them eligible to compete in the national finals as a wildcard team from the state.
OPB’s “Think Out Loud” recently spoke with two members of Grant High School’s constitution team and their coach before they left for the national competition.
Grant High School constitution team teacher Angela DiPasquale, center, works with students just one week before the “We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution” national championship in her classroom at Grant High School in Portland, Ore., on April 10, 2026. High school students from around the country will compete for three days, discussing the United States Constitution, government and Supreme Court decisions.
Eli Imadali / OPB
For Sophie Durocher, a senior at Grant High School and a member of the constitution team, a certain 2015 musical first sparked her interest in U.S. history.
“If I’m being honest, the thing that initially drew me to the constitution team is the musical ‘Hamilton,’” Durocher said. “I really enjoyed learning about U.S. history, and I thought that the team would be a way to engage with it a lot more directly.”
The “We the People” competition format is similar to a congressional hearing. The teams are given the questions in advance, for which they prepare a four-minute statement and are then asked follow-up questions about various constitutional principles their responses may reference or raise.
Grant High School constitution team members make various hand gestures as they argue and work to perfect their arguments for the “We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution” national championship, just one week away, in Angela DiPasquale’s class at Grant High School in Portland, Ore., on April 10, 2026. High school students from around the country will compete for three days, discussing the United States Constitution, government and Supreme Court decisions.
Eli Imadali / OPB
Durocher’s teammate, Caspian Green, says his favorite topics to research are those regarding artificial intelligence and privacy. He says being on the team helps him make sense of the intense political moment the U.S. is living in.
“It’s a very politically charged time,” Green said. “And one of the things about the Constitution team that is really interesting is it makes you consider what America is. We have all of these ideals, but what do they actually mean?”
The students’ preparation for their competitions over the past year has taken place amid immense political turmoil in the U.S. They’re studying the principles of the Constitution when talk of “constitutional crisis” has become more frequent. At the state competition in January, students were asked to prepare arguments based on topics of executive power.
“Our first question was in relation to the Supreme Court case, Youngstown Sheet and Tube, that was about an executive order that President Truman issued during the Korean War,” said Durocher. “We would talk about an executive order from 70 years ago and then about what’s going on with executive orders now, about why it’s different, why it’s kind of getting confusing.”
Grant High School constitution team member Augustus Martin makes a point while he works with teammates to perfect their arguments for the “We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution” national championship, just one week away, in Angela DiPasquale’s class at Grant High School in Portland, Ore., on April 10, 2026. High school students from around the country will compete for three days, discussing the United States Constitution, government and Supreme Court decisions.
Eli Imadali / OPB
DiPasquale said she appreciates the relevance and resonance of what the students are learning about our constitutional history with today’s events.
“What I love about talking with the students is hearing their perspective,” DiPasquale said. “They’re living through this history. This moment, it’s theirs. The way that they develop their ideas and their critical thinking is so powerful.”
As an educator, she says watching these students develop these skills is “a dream.”
“Having conversations, even difficult conversations, helps us grow,” DiPasquale said. At the end of the day, even if we disagree, there is room for that compromise, that building, that consensus.”
The team is divided into six groups, or units, with each one tackling a different focus area. Green thinks that the disagreements that arise within units ultimately leads to a better understanding of the Constitution, as well as valuable lessons on how to manage conflict, and create a dialogue.
“My unit in particular, we have a whole swath of personalities and opinions. It’s actually been really good because we’ve been able to really be able to challenge each other on the constitutional principles,” he said.
A student walks through the hall as Grant High School constitution team members at right work in units to perfect their arguments for the “We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution” national championship, just one week away, in Angela DiPasquale’s class at Grant High School in Portland, Ore., on April 10, 2026. A 1776-themed poster, the year that American founders declared independence from England, hangs atop the classroom door. High school students from around the country will compete for three days, discussing the United States Constitution, government and Supreme Court decisions.
Eli Imadali / OPB
DiPasquale says the value of being on the team lasts well after the season has ended and the last matches have been played.
“Not all students become lawyers or political scientists. But this background really helps students to better understand our country and ultimately to help us steer it in a good direction in the future.”
Angela DiPasquale, Sophie Durocher and Caspian Green spoke to “Think Out Loud” host Dave Miller. Click play to listen to the full conversation:
