National Civics Bee

The National Civics Bee® is a national nonpartisan competition that encourages young Americans to engage in civics and contribute to their communities. Participating 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students show their civics knowledge for a chance to win recognition and cash prizes, and there is no cost to participate. Finalists who advance to the national competition will compete for prizes worth up to $100,000!

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation created the National Civics Bee® because it believes informed and active citizens make for a strong country, economy, and workforce, and that our continued prosperity depends on the strength of all three. The Kentucky Chamber Foundation is a proud partner of the National Civics Bee® and the host of the Kentucky State Finals competition.

Why Civics?

We are hosting the National Civics Bee® Kentucky State Finals because we believe that informed and active citizens make for a strong country, a strong economy, and a strong workforce, and that our continued prosperity depends on the strength of all three. Through the bee, we are promoting greater civic knowledge throughout Kentucky and celebrating our civic pride. 

Check out the National Civics Bee® Competition this November and other highlights at The Civic Trust YouTube page.

National Civics Bee® 2026

Don't miss your opportunity to share your civic knowledge, grow as a citizen, and work towards positive change in your community! The submission window for the 2026 National Civics Bee® is open September 8, 2025, through February 3, 2026. You can navigate to the submission portal here. 

Interested in integrating National Civics Bee® engagement into the classroom, for extra credit, as an extracurricular opportunity, or in your community? Check out the Educator Toolkit Resource and/or Educator Webinar on September 17, 2025 at 4 p.m. EST. Register for the webinar here. 

For questions about the National Civics Bee® Kentucky State Competition or bringing the competition to your community, please contact Ginny Hoyt at ghoyt@kychamber.com.

Local chambers of commerce across the state are working together to bring the National Civics Bee® to every Kentucky region. Participating students will write a 500-word essay to enter their local competitions. The winners from each region will then move on to the Kentucky State Finals, which will take place in the summer of 2026. Use the map to find your local region, and click the Chamber below to learn about their involvement in the National Civics Bee® Competition!

• Western Kentucky Region

• West Central Kentucky Region

• North Central Kentucky Region 

• South Central Kentucky Region 

• Northeastern Kentucky Region

• Southeastern Kentucky Region 

Student Flyer (PDF)

Educator and Parent Guide (PDF)

Student Essay Guide

Take The Civics Quiz

The National Civics Bee® Official Contest Rules govern the competition to ensure fairness and integrity. They are customized to include the name, address, and end date (including time zone) of each local chamber partner. Otherwise, the Contest Rules must not be modified in any way. As you review the Official Contest Rules in their entirety on the following pages, please note the following eligibility requirements:

• Any student registered in 6th, 7th, or 8th grade in a public, private, or home school is eligible to participate
• Students may only apply to one competition, and it must be in their state of residence
• All entries must be in English
• If a student participated in a previous National Civics Bee®, they must submit a new, unique entry
• Any student related to (or living with) Chamber staff, leadership, Board of Directors, or any student who is related to any partners/co-Sponsors of the National Civics Bee® is not eligible (to prevent any perception of bias, preferentialism, or discrimination)

In addition, please note the following requirements related to documentation and data storage:

• Parents/Guardians of the selected Finalists must submit an eligibility validation and consent form for their child to participate in Local and State Events
• Tax Payer ID is not required to participate in the Bee, but it is required to receive the cash prizes (and any other prizes where the parent/guardian might be responsible to pay taxes)
• If a parent asks for their child’s data to be removed or deleted, they must contact civics@uschamber.com and the Local Competition Partner must inform USCCF

Refer to the following Official Contest Rules for all requirements.

Chambers of Commerce from across Kentucky hosted Local Civics Bee competitions this spring, in partnership with the Kentucky Chamber Foundation, where middle school students participated in live quiz events to test their civics knowledge and discuss issues facing their communities.

The 2025 local competitions were hosted by the Paducah Area Chamber of Commerce, Bardstown-Nelson County Chamber of Commerce, Campbellsville/Taylor County Chamber of Commerce, Southeast Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, London-Laurel County Chamber of Commerce, and Maysville-Mason County Area Chamber of Commerce.

Ava Bogard from Calloway County was named the winner of the 2025 National Civics Bee® Kentucky State Competition, with Phoenix Hurtgen of Taylor County placing second and Lucy Reynolds from Taylor County placing third. 

View the full recap of the event here.