The Civics Bee Application Process is Now Open!

More information, including the essay topic, prompts, and rules, can be found here. Students can start the application process by clicking on this link: Chester County Civics Bee Application 2023-24. 

The National Civics Bee is an initiative aimed at encouraging more young Americans to engage in civics and contribute to their communities. Organized in partnership with The Civic Trust of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, the competition in Chester County 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. 

How It Works: 

• Middle school students from across Chester County are invited to take part in the first-round civics essay competition.  
• Students are asked to identify a problem in their community and write a 500-word essay on how they would remedy that problem using civic principles. 
• A cross-section of community leaders (including government officials, business leaders, and educators) will review each of the essay submissions.
• The top twenty students will be selected to move on to the in-person round of competition: a live quiz event on February 20 to test their civics knowledge. 
• The live competition consists of two rounds of history, social studies, and civics-related questions on a digital platform. 
• In the third round, the students will provide the judges with a summary of their essay. 
• A cumulative score will be used to determine the finalists, with the top three winners receiving $1,000 cash for first place, $500 for second place, and $250 for third. 

Resources 

Student and Parent Guide 

The Civic Trust 

Civics Renewal Network 

Also, be sure to mark these important dates on your calendar: 

• Monday, January 8, 2024 - Deadline for submissions 
• Tuesday, February 20, 2024 - Regional competition 

The Regional Competition will begin at 12:00 p.m. and be held at Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge, 1601 Valley Forge Road, Phoenixville, PA 19460.