Our community thrives on the foundations of civics, and The Osceola Chamber is excited to once again bring the National Civics Bee® to Central Florida. This initiative encourages middle schoolers to learn about American democracy, engage constructively in their communities, and build trust in their fellow citizens and institutions. In partnership with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and Rosen Hotels and Resorts, The Osceola Chamber hosted a regional final of the National Civics Bee on Friday,April 17.    

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Last November, The Osceola Chamber worked with the Osceola County School District and other local districts to invite middle schoolers in 6^th, 7^th, and 8^th grades from public, private, charter, and home schools to submit essays as part of the first round of competition. Community leaders from across the country reviewed the essays and the top 20 highest-scoring students from the area were then invited to participate in a regional, live round.

The regional competition, hosted at Rosen Centre Hotel Orlando, featured two rounds of multiple-choice civics quiz questions emceed by Chamber President/CEO John Newstreet, providing a platform for students to showcase their civics knowledge. The five top-scoring students from the first two rounds then moved on to a Q & A round of questions posed by a panel of judges. Judges for the local competition were Tameara Crespo, City Clerk, City of Kissimmee; Sandie Martinez, Director,Community Engagement Osceola Region, Valencia College; and Judge Christine Arendas, Florida’s Ninth Judicial Circuit.

At the end of the Q & A round, the winners were Georgia Whittemore of Julia Landon College Preparatory School in Jacksonville in first place, Avi Jutla of Abraham Lincoln Middle School in Gainesville in second place, and Ara Afolabi of Voyager K-8 School in St. Cloud in third place.

All participants took home the tablet they used in competition, as well as a National Civics Bee t-shirt, and a goody bag. The first-place winner received $500 cash, with $250 for second place, and $100 for first place. These top three will now go on to compete in the National Civics Bee® Florida State Finals at Florida State University in Tallahassee on June 30. At the state competition they will have the opportunity to win additional cash prizes, and the first-place winner of the State Finals will earn a trip to Washington, D.C. to compete in the National Championship in the Fall of 2026. Prizes at the National Championship include a grand prize of$100,000 for first place, $25,000 for second place, and $15,000 for third place. All participating students and their families enjoyed a post-event party catered by Rosen Centre.

Said Newstreet, “Our great country and every community within the United States is built on the foundation of civics. Middle schoolers are at the perfect age to become better informed about American democracy as well as learn to respectfully and constructively engage in our community. The National Civics Bee provides a great platform for our young Americans to build greater trust in others and in our institutions. Kissimmee, St. Cloud, and Osceola County will benefit in the short term and long term when citizens are knowledgeable about how government works, lessons learned from our past, and constructive ways to engage in the process – a process which affects each and every one of us each and every day.”

The regional round of the National Civics Bee is brought to Central Florida by grants from The Civic Trust and the Duke Energy Foundation, and support from Rosen Hotels and Resorts.

Said Rosen Hotels & Resorts President & CEO Frank Santos, “It was an honor to host middle school students from all over Florida in the regional round of this year’s National Civics Bee, held at Rosen Centre. With this year being our nation’s 250th anniversary, their commitment to understanding our civic foundations is special. These students certainly reflect the very best of our community andwe are proud to support their dreams.”