NANTICOKE — Brooke Bachman, an eighth grader at Valley View Middle School, tested her civics knowledge and presented on a community issue Saturday at the fourth annual regional competition of the National Civics Bee.
Bachman earned first place after advancing through an essay screening, a civics quiz, and a question-and-answer session on her essay topic at the regional bee, hosted by the Greater Wyoming Valley Chamber of Commerce at Luzerne County Community College.
She will move on to the state competition. If she wins states, she’ll move on to nationals.
Bachman said it felt really good to win after lots of studying and preparation.
“It was fun mostly,” she said about her experience.
The National Civics Bee is a program of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s The Civic Trust. The nonpartisan competition aims to improve civics education and literacy among middle school students, their families, and communities through a network of state and local chambers across the country.
Lindsay Griffin-Boylan, president and CEO of the Greater Wyoming Valley Chamber of Commerce, said it’s a great way to teach history and promote civic and community engagement at a young age. She said it’s especially relevant this year, in the wake of the United States’ 250th anniversary.
“What I love about this day is that they’re our futures,” Griffin-Boylan said about the student competitors. “They’re going to be the ones that are going to be taking over this community, so I think it’s even more important to give them that platform.”
Twenty students qualified for the regional bee, with 18 students attending from seven Northeast Pennsylvania middle schools. Judges selected the finalists based on their essays on how they would solve a problem facing the community.
The competition started with several rounds of government and history questions led by emcee Dorothy Lane, director of the Wilkes University Small Business Development Center.
The top five students who answered the most questions correctly presented their essay topic to a panel of judges who asked questions. The judges were State Rep. Eddie Day Pashinski, Luzerne County Manager Romilda Crocamo, and Holly K. Pilcavage, vice president of enrollment, student success, and institutional advancement for LCCC.
Bachman and the other four finalists, Jack Kelly, Jocelyn Shepard, Dev Patel, and Peyton Carey, were all from Valley View Middle School.
Rob Nolan, their civics teacher at Valley View, credits his students for their achievements, noting he introduced them to the competition, but they did the work on their own.
“I kind of feel like a proud parent,” Nolan said. “They just all did such a fantastic job. I was blown away with how well they performed today.”
Bachman took first place for her presentation on bike racks as a means of promoting civic virtues of responsibility, peace, and equality. She said more bike racks would have a positive impact on the community by providing an easy, efficient way for students to get to and from school and activities, even if their families can’t afford cars.
Kelly, the second-place winner, said he can improve his community by shoveling snow for the elderly, promoting the civic virtue of community service. Shepard, the third-place winner, said she can improve her community by volunteering with others to improve and clean up public spaces.
In addition to their community advocacy, students said they aspire to be a lawyer, doctor, therapist, or fashion designer when they grow up.
“This has rejuvenated my fundamental belief that our future is very bright,” Crocamo said.