2024 National Civics Bee

Middle school students in Connecticut will have a unique opportunity to test their civics knowledge this year as part of a national competition.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s National Civics Bee is an annual competition aimed at improving civics education and literacy among middle school students, their families, and communities.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation named CBIA as an official partner to host four regional bees and the Connecticut State Finals in 2024.

The regional bees will be hosted by the Bridgeport, Middlesex, and Waterbury chambers of commerce in early 2024.

CBIA also partnered with other organizations including the Connecticut Department of Education, Connecticut Association of Boards of Education, Connecticut Association of Public School Superintendents, and the Connecticut Education Association to make this opportunity a reality for students.

Applications

Students can enter the competition by submitting an essay online to any region between Nov. 13, 2023 and Jan. 22, 2024.

• Region 1 (Fairfield County)
• Region 2 (Hartford, Litchfield, and New Haven counties)
• Region 3 (Middlesex, New London, Tolland, and Windham counties)

To be eligible to participate in the National Civics Bee an applicant must:

• Be a student in grades six through eight at the time of entry;
• Enter only one local chamber competition, which must be in their state of
  residence;
• Be the sole author of their entry—no group entries or entries written by
  parents will be accepted;
• Submit their entry in the English language;
• Submit a new, unique entry, if they’ve participated in any past Civics Bees;
• Agree to all Civics Bee rules, including potentially attending the local, state,
  and national competitions.
• Employees, officers, and directors of the sponsor or Co-sponsors and any affiliated
  entities, and their respective immediate families (parents, spouses, children, siblings)
  or individuals residing in their household (whether or not related) are not eligible
  entrants.

About the Competition

The National Civics Bee encourages young Americans in sixth, seventh, and eighth grade to explore issues that matter to their communities, furthering their understanding of civic engagement and fostering responsible citizenship.

There are four phases of the competition.

Students should submit a 500-word essay in response to the prompt as part of the first phase.

Twenty local finalists will be selected based on the essay judging criteria, which can be found on the application website.

Local finalists will then compete in one of four local Civics Bee Competitions. The top three winners from each local competition will go on to compete in Connecticut’s National Civics Bee Competition.

The first place winner will then advance to compete in the national-level competition.

Cash prizes will be given at various levels of the competition, including $1,000 for the state champion.

For educators, the program offers valuable resources, including a teacher guide, to introduce the opportunity to their students.  

More information about the National Civics Bee can be found at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s website. 

---

Businesses interested in sponsoring the event should contact CBIA’s membership team.