DENVER — The state competition for the National Civics Bee puts Colorado middle schoolers in a live quiz event to answer questions from judges to test their civic knowledge. The Colorado Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with the Civic Trust of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation and the Daniels Fund, will host the event where middle school students compete for cash prizes.
The event is a culmination of several civics bees that previously took place across the state. Hanna Skandera is the President and CEO of the Daniels Fund that helped launch the event two years ago to help students get engaged in social studies and civics.
“If you look at the data today, 1 in 3 Americans cannot pass the U.S. Citizenship test and 1 in 5 cannot name a single branch of government so we’ve got work to do,” Skandera said. “We wanted to be part of equipping the next generation to be engaged citizens that are truly ready to make a difference and lead this country.”
According to the Nation’s Report Card, only 15% of students are proficient in American history and 24% are proficient in civics. The National Civics Bee is an annual event that encourages students to engage in civics and contribute to their communities.
“Middle schoolers are coming to show their knowledge of basic civics information,” Skandera said. “And talk about an important issue to them that they want to solve that requires civics knowledge.”
The Daniels Fund is trying to get 6th, 7th and 8th graders engaged in civics through the National Civics Bee. The group started local competitions in all 50 states with hopes of reaching at least 1 million people by 2030. The goal is to help increase respectful civil discourse, understand how to engage in the political process and a greater appreciation for our democratic systems.
“We wanted to start with this generation when they’re young and give them that opportunity really grow and know,” Skandera said. “The civics bee is an incredible way to really work towards what we know is possible for our kids and our country.”
Ram Yalavarthy is an 8th grader and participated in the Colorado civics bee competition last year. He took top honors in the state’s inaugural competition and brought home a cash prize of $1,000.
“It was so surreal,” Yalavarthy said. “They were like ‘Ram Yalavarthy’ and I was like, ‘Oh, that’s my name’ so then I walked up, grabbed the big check and smiled.”
Yalavarthy’s strategy was to stay updated on current events and learn the basics on subjects like the branches of government, specific laws and acts as well as the amendments. He said knowing this basic knowledge will be important for his generation.
“We’re going to be the future of America,” Yalavarthy said. “That’s why we need this information now so that we can build on it once we get older and make informed decisions.”
The state civics bee will be held in The Cable Center at the University of Denver. The Colorado state champion will advance to the first-ever National Civics Bee. The competition will be held in Washington, D.C. in November where middle schoolers will compete for the national title and more than $50,000 in prizes.
“We get to champion the next generation for something that they’re invested in in a meaningful way,” Skandera said. “We want to celebrate them and encourage them to continue to know more do more and be a solution and problem-solver in our country.”
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