Published
May 13, 2024
Now Accepting Nominations for the Citizens Awards
For 25 years, the Citizens Awards have recognized businesses for their leadership in solving the world’s biggest challenges. Awards are given in nine categories, honoring the most innovative and impactful corporate citizenship programs, from civic engagement to economic opportunity to disaster response. Apply by June 14, 2024.
As the National Civics Bee® expands across the country, we are eager to broaden our reach from more than 100 chambers in 28 states to many more in 2025. Join us in celebrating the fundamental principles of democracy and strengthening civic engagement in our country - the time to apply is now!
Here are our top three reasons why local and state chambers or other business associations should participate:
Boost Civic Knowledge
It’s no secret that civic knowledge is badly lagging in America. More than 70% of Americans fail a basic civic literacy quiz.
However, as trusted institutions, businesses can drive significant impact in elevating civics by partnering with educators and youth organizations to steer a new generation toward effective civic participation.
As the team at the Southeast Kentucky Chamber of Commerce (KY) shared, "This competition not only promotes civic education but also instills in our youth the values of citizenship, responsibility, and active engagement. We believe that by supporting initiatives like the National Civics Bee®, we are investing in the prosperity and vitality of our community for generations to come."
The National Civics Bee® is a fun way to do this, and middle schoolers in 6th, 7th, and 8th grades everywhere are excited to apply and compete. Watch this video to listen to testimonials from the 2023 National Civics Bee® finalists.
According to our partners at the Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce (NY), “The event was a fast, fun, brain teasing adventure. The audience and kids all had fun trying to answer questions about our country's history and specifics about our constitution and other civic minded questions... The kids were proud to explain and summarize their essays that won them their spot in the contest.”
Energize Your Community
National Civics Bee® competitions are bringing citizens together who wouldn’t ordinarily meet and creating lasting impact in these communities. Chambers and community leaderships are utilizing the finalists' essay topics and ideas to develop long range community planning and strategies. Some finalists are even executing the projects and solutions they write about in their essays to directly improve their communities. The possibilities are endless.
As the Brownsville Chamber of Commerce (TX) team explained, “Participation in the National Civics Bee® has been transformative for our chamber, fostering deeper connections with our community's educational institutions. It's not just about knowledge; it's about empowerment and engagement, forging stronger bonds between our chamber, city, region, schools, and families.”
Take Advantage of Support and Resources
We are here to help! Our Civics team at the U.S. Chamber Foundation will equip you with everything you need from a "Playbook" of resources to trainings and everything in between. In addition to receiving direct support throughout the program cycle, your chamber will be connected to and learn from a network of chamber partners from across the country who have experience hosting competitions or who are new to this too.
We believe that informed and active citizens make for a strong country, a strong economy, and a strong workforce, and that our continued prosperity depends on the strength of all three. This is a fantastic opportunity for chambers to elevate their brands while also promoting greater civic knowledge, educating the next generation, and energizing communities with a celebration of civic pride.
Here are a few steps your chamber should take to learn more about this opportunity and to sign up for the 2025 National Civics Bee®:
- Schedule an info session with our team to start your application before June 15, 2024. Grant funding is limited and will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis.
- Local partners can start your application here, and state partners can start your application here.
- Contact our team by emailing civictrust@uschamber.com if you have any additional questions.
- Watch this video for testimonials from our partners.
