By Kiara Doyal, The Seattle Medium
The Kent Chamber of Commerce recently announced that they will be the local host of the 2025 National Civics Bee, an initiative to encourage more young Americans to engage in civics and contribute to their communities, set to take place on April 26. In partnership with The Civic Trust of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, the competition will inspire middle schoolers to become better informed about American democracy, to engage respectfully and constructively in the community, and to build greater trust in others and institutions.
“Fostering a deep understanding of civics and government among our young students is critical to the vibrancy of democracy and civic life in America,” said Hilary Crow, Vice President of civics at the U.S. Chamber Foundation. “The National Civics Bee provides a unique platform for them to not only showcase their knowledge but also become active and engaged citizens of the future.”
According to Zenovia Harris, CEO of the Kent Chamber of Commerce, the competition is currently scheduled to take place at Green River College in Kent, but she is actively looking for a larger facility that can accommodate approximately 180 students.
The Civics Bee is both a local and national competition and Harris believes that it is a really big deal for kids to understand civics and our democracy not just on a local level, but across the nation as well.
“We are hosting the local bee and then the winner will go on to state, and if they win state, then they go on to the national competition,” said Harris. “And, we just wrapped up the national competition, and it was a student from Alaska who won a $100,000 509 plan.”
Middle school students from public, private, charter, and home schools are eligible to participate, starting with an essay competition. Students will be prompted to propose solutions to civic challenges, and the top essay writers will advance to an in-person event featuring two rounds of civics questions to test their knowledge. Prizes for local winners include awards worth at least $500 for the first-place student.
The Civics Bee provides students a platform to explore issues important to their communities while fostering a deeper understanding of civic engagement and citizenship. Winners of the state finals will move on to the national championship in Washington, D.C., in Fall 2025, where they will compete for prizes totaling at least $50,000.
Harris likened the Civics Bee to a spelling bee, but with a focus on civics.
“The competition starts off with an essay. Students will need to write an essay that is essentially asking them to explain how they would solve the prompted problem, then the essays are scored, and we take the top of those essays based on the scores to compete in the multiple rounds,” Harris said. “The Civics Bee consists of local judges, keynote speakers, and a series of questions related to civics and democracy. The students will go round for round, and then a winner will be crowned at the end.”
Harris hopes the Civics Bee will not only educate students about civics and the history of legislation, but also allow them to build essential life skills.
“Not only are they going to learn about civics, but I hope that it helps them with their communication skills and public speaking skills which are some of the skills that employers are asking for,” Harris said. “I am hoping that they find a like-minded community of people because here in Kent there are 132 different languages spoken in the school district, with a diverse set of students, so I want them to know that their voice matters.”
“This is not normal. Kent has never had a Civics Bee, so I am happy to provide that opportunity for them,” she added.
When asked about the gap in civic understanding among younger generations, Harris pointed to a lack of access to the history and mechanisms of legislation as a contributing factor.
“I don’t think the younger generations lack information, because of the internet and the news, information is abundant,” Harris said. “The older generation, my generation, we understand that history is just repeating itself, but I think that’s just life, right? And the younger generation doesn’t understand that.”
“So, I think that if the younger generations can understand the basic knowledge of civics and how it works, then I think we would have a more engaged youth and we would have more folks running for offices,” she continued. “By fostering a sense of belonging and encouraging every voice to be heard, we are not only enhancing their knowledge but also inspiring them to be active contributors to the strength and success of our democracy,” she concluded.
Students interested in competing can register for the Civics Bee online at www.nationalcivicsbee.org, where they can also find contest rules and an essay guide to help them prepare.
“The website gives information for the parents on what they need to do, the release forms needed, and provides the students with an essay guide that will help them formulate answers to questions they will be asked,” said Harris.
