Students with a passion for American history and the country’s founding principles are encouraged to enter the “We the People 9*17 Contest,” which is organized by nonprofit foundation Constituting America.

Through the contest, K-12 students across America are eligible to win scholarships and prizes by creating an original song, short film, public service announcement or speech addressing a variety of topics related to the U.S. Constitution.

Contest winners also receive a trip to Philadelphia and national exposure as “future leaders.”

Emily Keener, the 2011 winner of the Best Song-Middle School division, for example, performed her prizewinning song on the national TV show Huckabee, accompanied by host Mike Huckabee and his band, The Little Rockers: http://vimeo.com/30993023.

“Constituting America’s mission is to get America’s youth and citizens engaged in learning about America’s founding principles,” said actress and talk radio host Janine Turner, who founded the nonprofit foundation with cochair Cathy Gillespie in 2010. “We hope students will seize this opportunity to share their thoughts on America’s founding principles through music, film, video, art and more.”

Last year’s winning entries are available on the foundation website at www.constitutingamerica.org, along with detailed information on contest rules and specific constitutional themes to be addressed in each category. Entries may be submitted to: Constituting America, We the People 9*17 Contest, P.O. Box 1988, Colleyville, TX 76034.

All entries must be postmarked by July 4.