Local Middle School Students Compete at State Qualifying Round in Vancouver for the Title of National Civics Bee Champion

LOCAL MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS COMPETE AT STATE QUALIFYING ROUND IN VANCOUVER FOR THE TITLE OF NATIONAL CIVICS BEE CHAMPION  

This competition drew submissions from nearly 100 essays from middle school students across the state during the first round, where 20 finalists were selected to compete in a live event to showcase civics knowledge. 

The National Civics Bee was launched to tackle the lack of knowledge about history and civics among middle school students, exposed by new federal data on the Nation's Report Card. 

Vancouver, WA- The Greater Vancouver Chamber (GVC) proudly announced the winners of the state qualifying round of the National Civics Bee, a prestigious academic competition that tests students' knowledge of civics and government. Twenty middle school student finalists from Battle Ground, Vancouver, Hockinson, Chehalis, some homeschooled and from private schools participated in this competition, where Benjamin Wu, 7th grader, won the title of Southwest Washington’s Civics Bee Champion and a cash prize of $500.  

Out of nearly 100 essays submitted by 6th, 7th, and 8th graders from around the state, judges from across the nation selected 20 finalists who were invited to compete on April 22nd at the Providence Academy. This event, organized in partnership with The Civic Trust of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, and supported by Career Connect Southwest – ESD 112, brought together bright young minds from schools across the region, showcasing their exceptional grasp of civics principles and government functions. 

The first round of the competition was a set of carefully crafted questions covering a wide range of topics including U.S. government, history, politics, constitutional law, and more, making it a challenging and engaging event that tested the participants' understanding of the foundations of our democratic society. Contestants used individual computers to answer the timed questions. Parents and guests were also invited to play along on their phones from the audience in a separate competition for a $50 Grow The 360 gift certificate to spend with Clark County merchants. Lewis County Deputy Auditor Tom Stanton, father of one of the finalists, won that competition.  

The students with the top five scores were then interviewed on stage by a panel of local mayors, featuring Steve Hogan from the City of Camas, Mayor & City Councilmember David Stuebe from Washougal, WA, and Mayor Phillip Johnson from Battle Ground, WA, who served as judges. The finalists discussed their essay topics (on their proposals to address a community issue of their choice, such as homelessness, historic preservation, technology accessibility), then answered questions from the mayors. The judges' scores were tallied, and three winners were announced, who all received cash prizes. All three mayors were impressed with the students’ performance and honored to be part of this event and hear about potential solutions to societal problems.  

The top three winners demonstrated exceptional knowledge and understanding of the United States Constitution, government structure, current events, and other civic topics, in addition to an incredible awareness of current society issues. Those three winners, along with the seven other top finishers in the quiz part of the competition, will go on to the state Civics Bee event, brought to you by the Association of Washington Business on June 1st at the Museum of Flight in Seattle, WA.   

The ten finalists of the National Civics Bee are as follows: 

• Benjamin Wu, Narrows View Intermediate, Tacoma/University Place School District 
• Lorelai Wilde, Chief Umtuch Middle School, Battle Ground Public Schools  
• Devin Spector-Van Zee, home-schooled in Vancouver 
• Eliana RossRodriguez, George Washington Bush Middle School, Tumwater School District 
• Olivia Cherrington, Chehalis Middle School, Chehalis School District  
• Ye Joon Ameling, Vancouver Itech Preparatory, Vancouver Public Schools  
• Addison Juhnke, Laurin Middle School, Battle Ground Public Schools  
• Brady Bruz Taylor, Chehalis Middle School, Chehalis School District  
• Oliver Stanton, Chehalis Middle School, Chehalis School District  
• Kenya Merrick, Laurin Middle School, Battle Ground Public Schools