National Civics Bee
The Lancaster Fairfield County Chamber of Commerce partners with the US Chamber of Commerce Foundation to present the National Civics Bee Local Competition.
The program helps introduce civics education to middle school students in Lancaster and Fairfield County. Students learn about government operations from the local to the federal level and how they can be help solve local issues.
2025 Civics Bee Essay Submissions - Coming Soon!
The essay submission portal for the 2025 National Civics Bee competition will open soon. Stay tuned for more information!
How it works
Fairfield County students in grades 6, 7 and 8 submit 500-word essays describing issues in their communities while providing potential solutions.
In the past, students have written about childhood cancer advocacy, domestic violence, crime rates, pollution, littering, government transparency and more.
Once submissions have been collected, volunteers review each essay with the top20 advancing to the Live Event in Lancaster on March 19, 2025.
Each of the 20 students will participate in two multiple-choice quiz rounds to test their knowledge of civics education - from topics in U.S. history to understanding governmental functions. The top-20 students will also received gift bags with items from local businesses in Lancaster and Fairfield County.
After the quiz rounds, the top-five students will advance to the final round to present their essay topics to a panel of local judges. The top three participants will receive cash prizes from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation and advance to the State Civics Bee in the summer of 2025.
