Information for 2025 Competition Now Available on PA Chamber Website
HARRISBURG, PA – The 2025 National Civics Bee Pennsylvania State Finals will be held this Friday, June 14, at 10:00 a.m. at Commonwealth Charter Academy in Harrisburg. Fifteen middle school students from across Pennsylvania will compete for cash prizes and the chance to advance to the National Civics Bee in Washington, D.C., later this year.
Additionally, information is now available for educators and organizations interested in participating in the 2025 National Civics Bee Pennsylvania State Competition. Adults interested in next year’s competition should complete the interest form available here. Further details on the 2024 Pennsylvania State Competition is available here.
The Pennsylvania Chamber Foundation is a proud partner in the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s Annual National Civics Bee, which encourages young Americans 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 cash prizes by sharing ideas for improving their communities and showing their enthusiasm for civics.
“In just a few years, America will celebrate our nation’s 250th anniversary – a historic Pennsylvania moment that took place with the signing of the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia,” PA Chamber President and CEO Luke Bernstein said. “But in recent years, interest in and knowledge of civics has taken a sharp decline. A recent survey by the U.S. Chamber showed that 70 percent of Americans couldn’t answer basic questions about our democratic processes. The Civics Bee is committed to changing that by inspiring young people to become informed, engaged citizens and providing them with a platform to demonstrate their contributions to public life.”
Along with the PA Chamber, local chambers of commerce across Pennsylvania participate in the Annual Civics Bee. Students in 6th, 7th, and 8th grades can submit a 500-word essay to participating chambers of commerce outlining an original idea – using civics – for how they would better their communities. A panel of judges reviews those essays and selects 20 finalists to participate in a live Civics Bee competition hosted by the participating local chamber of commerce. The top three finalists from each regional Civics Bee advance to the Pennsylvania State Finals.
Details on essay deadlines, and participants in the 2025 Pennsylvania State Civics Bee, will be determined at a later date.
Media is encouraged to attend Friday’s 2024 National Civics Bee Pennsylvania State Finals and should RSVP to Lindsay Andrews at landrews@pachamber.org.
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The Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry is the state’s largest broad-based business association, with its statewide membership comprising businesses of all sizes and across all industry sectors. The PA Chamber is The Statewide Voice of BusinessTM.