The Chester County Chamber of Business & Industry (CCCBI) hosted its highly anticipated local competition as a part of the 2025 National Civics Bee, an initiative aimed at encouraging more young Americans to engage in civics and contribute to their communities.
CCCBI’s local competition, in partnership with The Civic Trust® of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, was held at the Chester County History Center with the generous support of Technology Sponsor, Benchmark Federal Credit Union. Chester County Commissioners Josh Maxwell and Eric Roe served as judges for the live event alongside Chester County Chamber Foundation Board Chair, Kathleen B. Rosano of TD Bank.
After a distinguished panel of judges reviewed over fifty essays, the top submissions from the first-round civics essay competition were selected to advance to CCCBI’s local competition. Twenty 6th, 7th, and 8th graders from across our region were invited to this in-person live event featuring two rounds of civics questions followed by a Q&A round to test their civics knowledge.
“We are facing a civics crisis in America. Surveys show that 70% of adults cannot pass a basic civics quiz, and 79% of 8th graders fall below proficiency in civics. This threatens the strength, prosperity, and resilience of our nation. The National Civics Bee is dedicated to enhancing civics knowledge, skills, and disposition among young people and adults alike, inspiring the next generation to make a positive impact in their communities.” said Hilary Crow, Vice President, Civics, U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation.
Gautam M. from Charles F. Patton Middle School, Kriti K. from Lionville Middle School, and Logan M. from The Souderton Charter School Collaborative were named the top three champions, taking home cash prizes of $500, $250 and $125 with trophies. For a third consecutive year, Benchmark Federal Credit Union provided smart tablets to all twenty finalists to keep after the competition and ensure they continue to contribute to their communities.
“As a not-for-profit financial cooperative, community involvement and public responsibility is central to our core values, and the Civics Bee is always a very special day for us as we invest in the education of the next generation,” said Rebecca Worthington, Vice President of Community Relations at Benchmark Federal Credit Union. “We are so proud of all of this year’s participants and look forward to seeing our regional winners compete at the state level.”
The Pennsylvania Chamber of Commerce will host the National Civics Bee PA State Finals on Friday, June 13, 2025 at the HUB-Robeson Center on the Campus of Penn State University in State College, PA. The top state winners will receive various prizes, and the first-place winner of the State Finals will earn a trip to Washington, D.C. to compete in the National Championship in the Fall of 2025. Prizes at the National Championship include a grand prize of a $100,000 529 plan for first place, $25,000 for second place, and $15,000 for third place.
“The Chamber was so excited to work with our community partners once again to engage the next generation of leaders in Chester County through a fun and interactive competition,” said Laura Manion, President & CEO of CCCBI. “We are committed to working with our younger generations to be more collaborative, inclusive, professional, and civic, and the local and state civics bees are prime examples of encouraging our future leaders to be involved in their communities. We are grateful for each of our community partners who helped us ensure this event was a huge success for the third year in a row.”