Written with the help of AI from a news release from Wright State University.
Wright State University’s Center for Civics, Culture and Workforce Development will host a regional National Civics Bee competition on April 17, 2027, according to the university. It is the first year Wright State has hosted the event.
The contest begins with an essay round. Students in grades six to eight submit a brief essay proposing a way to improve their school or community. From those entries, 20 local students will be invited to the in-person regional competition at Wright State, where they will answer civic knowledge questions and discuss their proposals with a panel of local community and civic leaders. All entries must be received by Feb. 2, 2027.
Three regional finalists will receive prizes of up to $500 and move on to the Ohio State Finals next summer. Three students will then be chosen as state champions to compete in the National Civics Bee in Washington, D.C., for the national title and up to $100,000 in 529 education savings account contributions, the university said.
"The Civics Bee gives them a structured way to build that intellectual foundation and then put it to use in their communities," said Mike Jacobs, deputy director of the Wright State Center for Civics, Culture and Workforce Development.
The National Civics Bee is a free, annual competition organized by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s Civic Trust with the Bill of Rights Institute, Johns Hopkins Institute for Education Policy and Khan Academy. Students from public, private, charter and homeschools may enter.
Wright State said the regional event is supported by a $3 million U.S. Department of Education grant to expand civic literacy, leadership and participation. The center launched in early 2025 and focuses on civic literacy, cultural understanding and workforce readiness in the Dayton region, with a special focus on the defense community and Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. More information is at civics.uschamberfoundation.org/national-civics-bee.
Read the full release from Wright State University.
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