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 three 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.
Contact Us
If you would like to learn more about Arkansas’ National Civics Bee, please contact us at tvillines@arkansasstatechamber.com.
In partnership with The National Civics Bee®
2024-2025 National Civics Bee Arkansas Sponsors:
