On May 6, eighteen middle school students took the stage at the National Constitution Center to compete in a regional round of the National Civics Bee, hosted by the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia.
The National Civics Bee, organized by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, is a nonpartisan competition for 6th, 7th, and 8th graders. To enter, students write a four-paragraph essay identifying a specific challenge in their community, outlining steps they would take to address it, naming the people and organizations they would turn to for support, and connecting their proposal to the founding principles and civic virtues of American democracy. The eighteen finalists at the National Constitution Center were the highest-scoring essay writers from the Greater Philadelphia region.
The competition ran in three rounds. In the first two, finalists answered ten multiple-choice civics questions each, with thirty seconds to lock in an answer, while audience members were invited to play along on their own devices. The five highest-scoring finalists advanced to a final round of judges' Q&A, where each student delivered a three-sentence summary of their essay and then fielded questions for three minutes. Judges scored them on their understanding of civic principles, the clarity of their answers, and their use of specific examples, evidence, and primary sources.
The first, second, and third-place winners advance to the Pennsylvania state competition. The state champion will represent Pennsylvania at the National Championship in Washington, D.C. this fall.
Chellie Cameron, President and CEO of the Chamber, delivered opening remarks. "Civic knowledge and engagement are foundational to strong communities, a healthy democracy, and a thriving economy," Cameron said. "At the Chamber, we believe informed, engaged citizens are essential to inclusive growth, and these students give me great hope for the future."
The National Civics Bee expanded to all 50 states this year, timed to America's 250th anniversary. For the Chamber, the program aligns with its view that informed and engaged citizens contribute to a stronger workforce and economy.
Judges for the regional competition included Lauren Cristella, President and CEO of Committee of Seventy; Shawn Caven, Vice President of Student Programs at Founding Forward; former U.S. Congressman Joe Hoeffel, Co-Chair of PA Civics; Kiersty DeGroote of Bochetto & Lentz, P.C.; and Will Gonzalez, Executive Director of Ceiba. Priyanka Tewari of WHYY served as emcee.
Thanks to the Chamber's partners on the event: the National Constitution Center, Committee of Seventy, Founding Forward, and the Rendell Center for Civics and Civic Engagement.
