C-SPAN is partnering with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to host the first-ever televised National Civics Bee championship, where, for its fourth year, 52 middle school students will compete for a national title and a $100,000 prize.
Finalists from all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and American Samoa will compete in a fast-paced, live competition testing their knowledge of American government, the Constitution, and the civic challenges facing their communities.
The National Civics Bee is a nonpartisan civics competition that brings together students, parents, educators, business leaders, and public officials to elevate civics education as a national priority.
Launched as a pilot program in Mason City, Iowa, in 2022, the inaugural event rapidly expanded to nine pilot states — Colorado, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, New Mexico, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Washington — before hitting the national stage.
The live championship is the culmination of a nationwide competition that engaged more than 20,000 students from 240 communities nationwide on a myriad of issues, including youth mental health, technology in schools, food insecurity, affordable housing, wildfire preparedness, and financial education.
The event will test students’ knowledge through several competitive rounds, including team presentations, multiple-choice questions, head-to-head challenges, interviews, and a final buzzer competition. The winner will receive the Bill Daniels National Civics Award and a $100,000 college savings plan contribution toward any future educational plan, including trade school.
Students in 6th, 7th, and 8th grades were required to initially answer four short-answer prompts at a regional competition, proposing ideas to improve their communities. Judge-selected finalists then proceeded to regional and statewide civics competitions, similar to spelling bees, in which competitors answer civic quiz questions.
“These students start out not knowing much about civics or what civics even means. [Students] spend a lot of time learning the information and how it applies to their everyday lives,” said Hilary Crow, the vice president at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation and the executive producer of the National Civics Bee.
With civics education under fire nationwide, Crow said that as the push for STEM education expanded nearly a decade ago, only about 5 cents is invested in civics education for every $50 invested in STEM education.
TRUMP CALLS NOBEL COMMITTEE’S DECISION AN ‘INDELIBLE STAIN’ ON NORWAY
As the United States marks its 250th anniversary, the championship will showcase a new generation of young Americans learning how government works, engaging with the issues around them, and discovering the role they can play in their communities and country.
C-SPAN will air the competition live on Oct. 14 at 8:00 p.m. ET, hosted by Emmy-nominated actor and game show host Jerry O’Connell. Applications are now open through Feb. 2, 2027, for next year’s competition.
Continue reading...
[ H/T Washington Examiner ]
