Chester County Chamber of Business and Industry (CCCBI) is partnering with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, Chester County Intermediate Unit, Freedoms Foundation of Valley Forge, and Benchmark Federal Credit Union to host a regional Civics Bee on Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2024, as part of the U.S. Chamber Foundation’s National Civics Bee.

The National Civics Bee is an annual competition that encourages young Americans to engage in civics and contribute to their communities. In the first round of the contest, local 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students will participate in an essay competition. The deadline for essay submission has been extended to Monday, Jan. 22, 2024.

Students will be asked to identify a problem, challenge, or opportunity in their local communities and explain what they can do to contribute to its improvement based on founding principles and civic virtues. Judges will then select 20 finalists to participate in CCCBI’s local competition at the Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge where they can take home their own smart tablet, provided by Technology Sponsor, Benchmark Federal Credit Union.

“As the only federal credit union to exclusively serve Chester County, Benchmark FCU is focused on investing in Chester County’s future and we are honored to once again be the Technology Sponsor for the upcoming 2024 Civics Bee. Our sponsorship allows us to provide smart tablets to the finalists to support their ongoing education. Good luck to all students who are chosen for this year’s Civics Bee and we look forward to watching you compete in February,” said Rebecca Worthington, Vice President of Community Relations at Benchmark Federal Credit Union.

The three finalists will receive cash prizes of $1000 for 1st place, $500 for 2nd place, and $250 for 3rd place and a certificate and Proclamation from the Chester County Commissioners in addition to their smart tablets.

“The National Civics Bee is a unique opportunity to come together with our community partners and engage the next generation of leaders in this country through a fun and interactive competition. CCCBI is committed to working with our younger generations to be more collaborative, inclusive, professional, and civic. In our inaugural Bee, two of our three regional finalists placed in the top three at the PA State competition. It is evident that Chester County is home to highly esteemed academic institutions, and the Chamber is proud to once again partner with these students as they further their academic development,” said Laura Manion, CCCBI President & CEO.

This Civics Bee will feature special guest judges from across Chester County for both the essay grading and the competition. After the regional Civics Bee, the top three students from each local competition will then advance to the state competition to be held in the spring of 2024. The three state-level finalists will also receive cash prizes of equal value to CCCBI’s regional competition prizes.

Learn more at Chester County Chamber of Business and Industry.