SWWA Civics Bee
Presented by OnPoint Community Credit Union
Eleven outstanding middle school students took the stage at The Kiggins Theatre on April 20 to compete for the title of Southwest Washington’s Civics Bee Champion!
Meet This Year's Winners!
Calista
1st Place
Homeschool Program
Essay Topic: Wildfire Preparedness
Aaryana
2nd Place
Shahala Middle School
Essay Topic: Educational Inequalities
Nirvan
3rd Place
Shahala Middle School
Essay Topic: Healthcare Disparities
2026 Civics Bee Judges
The top five finalists students presented their community improvement ideas and responded to questions from a distinguished panel of judges:
- Ethan T. Perry, Executive Director, Port of Ridgefield
- Trang K. Lam, Executive Director, Port of Camas-Washougal
- Nelson Holmberg, Chair, GVC Government & Public Affairs Committee.
2026 WA State Finals
Our three local winners will advance to the Washington State Civics Bee Finals, presented by the Association of Washington Business, on Saturday, June 20, 2026, at the Kenneth J. Minnaert Center at South Puget Sound Community College. Click below to learn more about this exciting next step in their journey!
Calling all middle school students!
It's easy to enter! Write a 500-750 word essay and you're in!
Participate in our National Civics Bee, brought to you by the Greater Vancouver Chamber, with support from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, to become better informed about American democracy and test your civics knowledge for a chance to win recognition and cash prizes!
ABOUT THE BEE
The National Civics Bee is an exciting annual competition inspiring young Americans to engage in civics and make a difference in their communities!
Local 6th, 7th, and 8th graders kick things off with an essay contest, judges will select the top 20 finalists who will advance to a live quiz showdown, testing their civics knowledge.
The top three from Southwest WA will earn a spot in the state finals, where champions are made!
HOW TO ENTER
It's easy to participate! If you are a middle school student, submit your 500-750 word essay in response to the following prompt: Identify a problem facing your community. How might you solve the problem? for consideration and you are in the contest!
Click for Essay Writing Guidance!
PARTICIPATE
Be a champion for civics! Each finalist that participates in the National Civics Bee local competition will receive a certificate commemorating their participation.
Local Bee Prizes:
- First Place: $500
- Second Place: $250
- Third Place: $125
State Finals Prizes:
- First Place: $1,000
- Second Place: $500
- Third Place: $250
*If the local winner advances to the state championship and wins, their school could have the chance to receive a $5,000 donation. State champions will also earn a paid trip to Washington, D.C., to compete in the National Civics Bee® Championship.
National Championship Prizes:
- First Place: $100,000 (529 plan contribution)
- Second Place: $25,000
- Third Place: $15,000
WHY CIVICS?
Building community takes all of us!
We believe that advocacy and civic engagement are essential elements to improve our community and create a positive change in the world. As the largest business organization in southwest Washington, we take the weight of its voice seriously in conversations, debates, and advocacy activities about how to assure community members and businesses continue to thrive across the region.
Ready To Test Your Civics Knowledge?
Take this brief quiz to see how well you stack up. And don’t worry, whether you ace them or need some refreshers, we are glad you’re interested in civics and civic engagement. We need more people like you. Ready? Let’s go!
Thank You to Our Sponsors
