Chamber of Commerce Hawaii has announced that the 2025 National Civics Bee Hawaii is now open to students statewide in grades 6-8, including those in public, private and charter schools as well as those who are homeschooled.
Interested students must submit an essay exploring a civic issue that’s important to them and their community.
Presented by the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, this initiative is hosted in partnership with The Civic Trust of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation.
Educators are encouraged to integrate the National Civics Bee Hawaii essay prompts and activities into their curriculum to support civic learning and community involvement.
“This provides a unique opportunity to inspire young leaders to think critically about issues affecting their communities while aligning with educational goals,” Sherry Menor-McNamara, president and CEO of Chamber of Commerce Hawaii, said in a press release. “The future is in the hands, minds and hearts of our youth.”
National Civics Bee Hawaii essay guidelines are below.
• Participating student must be in grades 6-8.
• The essay must be 600-750 words.
• The essay must identify a specific challenge in the student’s community, potential solutions and partners. The solution must demonstrate a connection to founding principles and civic virtues, outlined at civics.uschamberfoundation.org/student-essay-guide.
• Students can write about a wide range of topics, such as advocacy for legislation or policies, community improvement initiatives, youth engagement in civics, public health and safety, environmental sustainability, education and equity, social justice and equality, technology and civic engagement, local issues with civic solutions, national issues with local impact, and more.
• The deadline is Feb. 4 at 6:59 p.m. HST.
Essay finalists will be invited to the Hawaii State Finals on Saturday, March 1, at the Hawaii State Capitol Auditorium, where they will participate in a live quiz event and answer questions from judges to showcase their understanding of civics.
Participants will compete for recognition and prestigious awards; at least $1,000 for the state champion and $50,000 for the national winner. The Hawaii State Finals champion will also receive a trip to Washington, D.C., to compete in the fall 2025 national championship.
Prizes at the state level are $1,000 for 1st place; $500 for 2nd place; $250 for 3rd place. National championship prizes are $100,000 (529 plan) for 1st place; $25,000 for 2nd place; $15,000 for 3rd place.
Learn more at www.tinyurl.com/NationalCivicsBeeHI.
For more information, contact Sophia Wibholm, Chamber of Commerce Hawaii’s education manager, at swibholm@cochawaii.org.