Students flex civics knowledge at local round of National Civics Bee
SCHUYLKILL HAVEN — Several of the region's brightest young citizens demonstrated their civics knowledge and community service Wednesday at the Schuylkill County chapter of the National Civics Bee, hosted by the Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce.
The event — the first-ever Schuylkill County edition of the civics bee — brought together 18 local students in sixth, seventh and eighth grades to compete in two rounds of multiple-choice quizzes, followed by a panel of questions for the top five contestants. The event was held at Penn State Schuylkill's John E. Morgan Auditorium.
The students were selected based on essays they had submitted to the Civics Bee on a topic of their choice, exploring community service projects they wanted to undertake. Those essays were read by National Civics Bee judges across the country.
The local event consisted of two initial rounds of multiple-choice questions on topics related to the federal government, citizenship and history. Audience members also had the chance to participate by joining on their phones.
Topics included the role of the Federal Bureau of Intelligence, the president's cabinet, the role of the president and the Senate in the treaty ratification process, the Little Rock Nine, and the impact of U.S. Supreme Court decisions like Marbury v. Madison (1803) and Munn v. Illinois (1877).
The five students with the highest cumulative scores — out of 20 questions — advanced to a third round and answered questions from a panel of judges on the essays they had submitted to the Civics Bee.
The top three students received cash awards and trophies:
1st place: Aaron K., Tamaqua Area — $1,000 prize2nd place: Mihir P., St. Ignatius Loyola — $500 prize3rd place: Mary A., North Schuylkill — $250 prize
The three will advance to the state level of the competition om Harrisburg on June 13. The first-place winner from that round will be invited to compete in the national championship this fall in Washington, D.C.
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The three winners include Mary A., Aaron K. and Mihir P. during the local finals in the National Civics Bee competition held at Penn State Schuylkill, Wednesday, April 16, 2025. Mary claimed third, Mihir second and Aaron first. (MATTHEW PERSCHALL/MULTIMEDIA EDITOR)
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State Representative Jamie Barton speaks before the local finals in the National Civics Bee competition held at Penn State Schuylkill, Wednesday, April 16, 2025. (MATTHEW PERSCHALL/MULTIMEDIA EDITOR)
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Ava K., Schuylkill Haven, answers a question on her tablet during the local finals in the National Civics Bee competition held at Penn State Schuylkill, Wednesday, April 16, 2025. (MATTHEW PERSCHALL/MULTIMEDIA EDITOR)
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A question is projected onto a screen during the local finals in the National Civics Bee competition held at Penn State Schuylkill, Wednesday, April 16, 2025. (MATTHEW PERSCHALL/MULTIMEDIA EDITOR)
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Mihir P., St. Ignatius Loyola, does a double fist pump after answering a question during the local finals in the National Civics Bee competition held at Penn State Schuylkill, Wednesday, April 16, 2025. (MATTHEW PERSCHALL/MULTIMEDIA EDITOR)
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Student competiros listen as questions are asked during the local finals in the National Civics Bee competition held at Penn State Schuylkill, Wednesday, April 16, 2025. (MATTHEW PERSCHALL/MULTIMEDIA EDITOR)
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Mary A., North Schuylkill, looks down at her tablet during the local finals in the National Civics Bee competition held at Penn State Schuylkill, Wednesday, April 16, 2025. (MATTHEW PERSCHALL/MULTIMEDIA EDITOR)
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Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Robert S. Carl Jr. calls out a question during the local finals in the National Civics Bee competition held at Penn State Schuylkill, Wednesday, April 16, 2025. (MATTHEW PERSCHALL/MULTIMEDIA EDITOR)
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The three winners include Mary A., Aaron K. and Mihir P. during the local finals in the National Civics Bee competition held at Penn State Schuylkill, Wednesday, April 16, 2025. Mary claimed third, Mihir second and Aaron first. (MATTHEW PERSCHALL/MULTIMEDIA EDITOR)
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SEE THE FULL PHOTO GALLERY: The local finals for the National Civics Bee
Aaron, whose essay topic was inclusive recreation, told the judges that he wants to work with local educators, leaders and community members to build inclusive sensory equipment for his old elementary school playground. He said he was inspired by his brother, who has autism.
He stressed the importance of recess as a time to unwind and relax, and said it's crucial to have good equipment for it.
'(My brother) has definitely needed a lot of care and attention, especially in a school setting,' Aaron said, 'and I think that this project could really benefit people like him.'
Mihir P. talked about his proposal for an outdoor lighting project, which he said would improve safety, reduce crime and improve physical and mental well-being.
When asked about how some property owners would object to having lights installed near their homes, Mihir pointed out it could raise the value of their homes due to the enhanced safety and, additionally, some sort of compensation could be provided to them.
'This will be a collaboration between local authorities, energy companies and residents, while honoring civic virtues,' Mihir said.
Mary A.'s essay focused on book banning. She proposed raising awareness to protect access to books by writing, getting the word out and collaborating with librarians, politicians and school boards.
'All students deserve the right to read (books) by people like them,' she said, 'and authors, they deserve to have their voices heard.'
The other students who made the final round were Aaron E., of Blue Mountain, whose topic was public safety; and Ava K., of Schuylkill Haven Area, whose topic was homelessness and poverty.
Other entries from the local finalists included topics such as fighting blight, better life for strays, student mental health and lead contamination.
The judges were state Sen. David G. Argall (R-29); Schuylkill County Commissioner Gary Hess; Evelyn Datte, district coordinator at the office of Congressman Dan Meuser (R-9); Maureen Donovan, board member of the Tamaqua Area Community Partnership; and Thomas Teles, human resources manager at the Walmart Distribution Center in Schuylkill County.
While 20 finalists had originally been selected for the event, two dropped out on short notice, and there was not enough time to replace those students, according to chamber President and CEO Robert S. Carl Jr., the event's emcee.
Per National Civic Bee policy, students were identified at the event only by their first name and last initial, along with the school district they attend.
According to the competition rules, one of the finalists — Mihir P., who attends St. Ignatius Loyola in Berks County — was allowed to take part in any county civics bee of his choice, Carl said.
Carl congratulated the students and their parents, and advised them to remember the importance of the government and their education.
'Government never was intended to have a ping pong match of one side against another,' Carl said. 'It was created to be able to work in partnership to better be able to work together and make the right decisions, most importantly, on behalf of the people that elected officials serve.'
The event also included remarks from Cory Scherer, interim chancellor of Penn State Schuylkill; state Rep. Jamie Barton, R-124; Mike Shaner, vice president of lending at Hidden River Credit Union, which sponsored the monetary awards; and Jim Cooksey, president of the Rotary Club of Pottsville, which sponsored the trophies.
The National Civics Bee is hosted by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation. The state and local rounds of the bee are held in partnership with the U.S. Chamber, the PA Chamber of Business and Industry and local chambers of commerce across Pennsylvania.
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