National Civics Bee
About the Bee
The State Chamber/AIA has partnered with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation and local chambers of commerce across Arkansas to host a statewide civics competition. The National Civics Bee encourages young Americans in 6th, 7th, and 8th grade to engage in civics and contribute to their communities. The competition, modeled on traditional spelling and geography bees, gives students the chance to win recognition and earn cash prizes by sharing ideas for improving their communities and showing their enthusiasm for civics.
Why Civics?
We are hosting the National Civics Bee Arkansas State Championship because we believe that informed and active citizens make for a strong country, economy, and workforce, and that our continued prosperity depends on the strength of all three. Through the Bee, we promote greater civic knowledge throughout Arkansas and encourage young Arkansas to become more engaged in civics.
How the Competition Works
Local Essay Round
Any 6th, 7th, or 8th grade student in Arkansas can enter the local Bee of their choosing by submitting a 500-word essay about a problem facing their community and proposing solutions to address it. The deadline for essay submissions will be announced in the fall.
Local Civics Bee Competitions
Participating local partners will judge the essays and select twenty local finalists to compete live in a local Civics Bee competition. This event features two rounds of civics questions followed by a Q&A round with judges. The top winners from each local competition will advance to the Arkansas State Championship.
Arkansas State Championship
The top winners from each local competition will compete for the state title in Little Rock in May 2025. The state finalist with the highest score will be named the Arkansas State Champion and will advance to the National Civics Bee Championship in Washington, D.C.
National Championship
The National Championship will take place in Washington, D.C., at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce headquarters. The state champion will compete against other state champions for the national title Fall 2025.
2024-2025
Student Essay Guide
This resource is designed to help middle school students write compelling essays that address real issues in their communities. The guide includes essay prompts, tips for structuring your responses, and insights into key concepts like Founding Principles and Civic Virtues.
The essay submission period for 2024-2025 is now closed.
2024-2025
Local Competitions
Participating local partners in the National Civics Bee include the El Dorado-Union County Chamber of Commerce, Magnolia-Columbia County Chamber of Commerce, Rogers Lowell Chamber, Russellville Area Chamber of Commerce, and Sevier County Chamber of Commerce. Middle school students from any region in Arkansas can submit an essay to compete in one of the local competitions hosted by these chambers. Each student may submit an essay to only one local competition, but they do not have to live or attend school in the region where they choose to compete.
2024-2025
Arkansas State Championship
The Arkansas State Civics Bee Championship will take place on May 14, 2025, at the Clinton Presidential Center in Little Rock. The event will bring together the top winners from each local competition to compete for the state title through a live quiz and Q&A with judges. The finalist with the highest overall score will be named the Arkansas State Champion and will advance to the National Civics Bee Championship in Washington, D.C., where they’ll represent Arkansas on the national stage.
Meet Our Judges
The 2025 National Civics Bee® Arkansas State Finals will feature a panel of guest judges including Adjutant General of the Arkansas National Guard Brigadier General Olen (Chad) Bridges, Arkansas State Senator Jamie Scott, Chief of Staff for the Office of Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders Gretchen Conger, Director of External Affairs for the Arkansas Advanced Energy Association Ebony Mitchell, and Director of External Affairs (Arkansas) for AT&T Jacob Garrett.
The event will be emceed by Roby Brock, host and executive producer of Talk Business & Politics and CEO of Natural State Media, parent company for Talk Business & Politics and The Northwest Arkansas Business Journal.
In partnership with The National Civics Bee®
Contact Us
If you would like to learn more about Arkansas’ National Civics Bee, please contact us at tvillines@arkansasstatechamber.com.
2024-2025 National Civics Bee Arkansas Sponsors:
