The Katy Area Chamber of Commerce held a “live quiz” event on April 2 to conclude the 2024 National Civics Bee®, an initiative aimed at encouraging more young Americans to engage in civics and contribute to their communities. The Chamber of Commerce hosted the final round of the competition at Morton Ranch High School, 21000 Franz Road, Katy, with Charles Stein of AT&T serving as the emcee.

Organized in partnership with The Civic Trust® of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, the competition in Katy was designed to inspire 6th, 7th, and 8th graders to become better informed about American democracy, to engage respectfully and constructively in the community, and to build greater trust in others and institutions, said the chamber in a press release.

Middle school students from public, private, charter, and home schools were invited to take part in the first-round civics essay competition. The essay topic asked students to identify a problem facing your community and to describe how a citizen might solve the problem, including a recommendation and how to bring the recommendation to life.

Topics chosen by the participants included flood mitigation, reduction of plastics pollution, reduction of screen time during the instructional school day, and a proposed “immigration buddy” system, among others.

After a distinguished panel reviewed the 500-word essays, the top 20 students were selected to move on to the next round of competition: a live quiz event to test their civics knowledge. The panel of judges included Ida Franklin of Venus Construction, whose company sponsored the event; State Representative Stan Kitzman and Brookshire Mayor Pro Tem Jeremiah Hill.

A 20-question multiple choice quiz narrowed the competition to the top six contenders, who then individually answered questions from the judges on their essay topic.

The finalists and top winners received various prizes, including $500 cash for the first-place student.

Finalists were:

First prize of $500.00: Roshni Karunamurthy, Tays Junior High School, Katy

Second price of $250.00: Ritika Harish Krishnan, Bill Hays Middle School, North Dallas

Third prize of $125.00: Kunsh Kalra, Seven Lakes Junior High, Katy

Each of the top 20 participants received a backpack and certificate.

The first-place winner will advance to the state competition hosted by the US Chamber of Commerce along with the other two finalists. The state winners will receive various prizes, including $1,000 cash for the first-place student. The US Chamber of Commerce will host this event on June 15, 2024, at George W. Bush Presidential Center, 2943 SMU Boulevard, in Dallas, TX.

The contest began on November 13, 2023, and the deadline for student essay submissions was January 8, 2024. For more information on the essay topic, competition rules and prizes, visit: https://www.katychamber.com/national-civics-bee/