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About the Bee

All 6th, 7th and 8th grade students in public, private and home schools in Kentucky are invited to compete in the National Civics Bee, an initiative of the U.S. Chamber Foundation.

The National Civics Bee is aimed at encouraging more young Americans to engage in civics and contribute to their communities. Plus, students could win cash and prizes, and earn bragging rights for their school!

To enter, students should submit an essay using the following prompts:

- IDENTIFY a specific opportunity, problem, or challenge in your community. What is something in your school, neighborhood, or town that could be improved? (100 words minimum–150 words maximum)

- DESCRIBE the steps you would take to make this change. What will you do to make a positive impact, and why does it matter? (150 words minimum–200 words maximum)

- FIND support to help bring the idea to life. Think about student groups, teachers, local businesses, community organizations, city leaders, or others. (100 words minimum–150 words maximum)

- CONNECT your idea to the values that shaped our country. How does your idea reflect the Founding Principles and Civic Virtues of our country? Use examples from the Founding Principles and Civic Virtues to show how your idea reflects the responsibilities of citizenship. (150 words minimum–250 words maximum)

The essay application portal will be open in Fall 2026!

The top 20 essay finalists will be invited to compete in the Western Kentucky Regional live quiz competition, hosted in Paducah, KY. Finalists will receive various prizes, and first place earns $500 cash.

The top three winners from the Western Kentucky Regional Competition will then advance to compete against other middle school students from across the state at the Kentucky Chamber’s state competition; and then the top three state level winners will advance to the national championship in Washington D.C. 

 

Learn more at https://nationalcivicsbee.org

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Why Civics?

We believe that informed and active citizens make for a strong country, a strong economy, and a strong workforce, and that our continued prosperity depends on the strength of all three. The National Civics Bee is a way to promote greater civics knowledge and civic participation across the country, and to energize our community with a celebration of civic pride.

 

Want to see what it’s like to compete in a National Civics Bee?

 

Please email info@paducahchamber.org with any questions. 

Thank you to our partners and sponsors!