Your students can participate in the Civics Bee

A few months ago, a student from Jackson, OH won the 2025 National Civics Bee, beating out 38 other state champions from across the U.S. That student's civics knowledge, skills, and disposition were enough to earn a $100,000 grand prize. Do you know 6th, 7th, or 8th grade students in your district who deserve a chance to display their civic abilities in 2026?

The Civics Bee is an annual competition that encourages young Americans to engage in civics and contribute to their communities. As they compete for prizes, participants strengthen their civics, writing, and public speaking skills, and form friendships with other young leaders along the way.

To qualify for nationals, students can compete this spring in both regional and Pennsylvania state bees, where they can win up to $1,500. Encourage your students to fill out the application by the deadline on Feb. 3. C70 is partnering with the Philadelphia Chamber for our regional event, but we are happy to help students or teachers from across the state answer any questions. Just reach out!

Stories of Service in your classroom

As we look to the 250th anniversary of the Declaration, highlighting the importance of service in all its forms should be a vital part of that commemoration and our civics education. Service is the often overlooked essential ingredient for all democratic republics and was embodied in the lives and writings of the nation’s founders. Indeed, the closing words of the Declaration itself are perhaps the most powerful call to service ever written.  

A nonprofit organization, the National Museum and Center for Service, has launched a nonpolitical, nonpartisan movement, 250andBeyond.org, that provides free toolkits, resources and case studies showing how classes, schools, and communities can easily and affordably use existing resources to tell their own stories of service with powerful results, not only for the semiquincentennial but enduring far beyond. Special versions of those resources have also been distributed nationwide along with the Ken Burns Documentary “The American Revolution.”

The spirit of service has the unique power to help unify people around positive actions, rebuild trust and respect, and reduce loneliness and isolation. Our nation needs that now. For more information about doing this in your classes, school, or community, check out the links above or write info@nmcfs.org.