Howard County Chamber Of Commerce Launches Civics Bee For Middle Schoolers

HOWARD COUNTY, MD — Middle schoolers are encouraged to participate in a pilot program led by the Howard County Chamber of Commerce to bring a national civics bee competition to the county.

The 2023 National Civics Bee is designed to encourage more young Americans to engage in civics and contribute to their communities. Organized in partnership with The Civic Trust of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, the competition in Howard County will "inspire middle schoolers to become better informed about American democracy, to engage respectfully and constructively in the community, and to build greater trust in others and institutions."

The chamber of commerce currently is accepting submissions from middle school students within the county to take part in the first-round civics essay competition, which has a Feb. 24 deadline. A cross-section of community leaders including government officials, business leaders and educators will review each of the 500-word essay submissions. The top 20 students will be selected to move on to the final round of competition - a live quiz event to test their civics knowledge. Students are able to submit essays here: https://my.reviewr.com/site/CivicsBee/MD/HowardCountyChamberofCommerce.

The finalists and top winners will receive various prizes, including $500 cash and the opportunity to throw the first pitch at an Orioles game for the first-place student. The top three winners will advance to have a chance to compete at the state level.

"The bee gives students an opportunity to share their thoughts, ideas and voices about our community. It is also a way to increase their knowledge of civics," said Meaghan McClure with the Howard County Chamber of Commerce.

To view rules at guidelines, visit http://bit.ly/3HvkNlh.