The junior high students in the room put the adults to shame during the regional finals of the National Civics Bee © on April 18, hosted by the Katy Area Chamber of Commerce at the University of Houston Katy, 22400 Grand Circle Drive in Katy.

Spectators – including many proud parents – were invited to play along on their phones during the first two rounds of the competition, as fifteen contestants used their individual tablets to answer a broad range of multiple-choice questions posed by emcee Chris Harris, City of Katy Mayor Pro Tem. The students scored well, but the adults…not so much.

Following the first two rounds, five finalists advanced to round three, where each spoke about her contest essay and answered questions from the panel of three judges, which included Jay Neal, Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs and CEO for University of Houston Sugar Land and Katy; Wendi Lojo, district liaison for State Senator Joan Huffman, and State Representative District 132 Mike Schofield.

Winners were:

· Sadie Gerber, first prize of $500, who advocated for equal treatment and acceptance of special education students within schools

· Selah Gruy, second prize of $250, who addressed the issue of e-bike safety

· Navya Singh, third prize of $125, who spoke about flash flooding

The Katy Area Chamber, along with The Katy Foundation, partnered with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation to host the nonpartisan civics competition that encourages young Americans to engage in civics and contribute to their communities. Finalists will be invited to Washington, DC to compete in the National Civics Bee National Championship in Fall 2026.