Nevada Center for Civic Engagement

One idea from a Nevada twelve-year-old, on a national stage.

The National Civics Bee is a free competition for 6th, 7th, and 8th graders. Students write four short answers about one change that would make their school or community better, then compete for cash prizes through regional, state, and national rounds.

Applications are open now. Students can submit through February 2, 2027.

Apply now I'm a teacher, start here
Grades 6–8Public, private, charter, homeschool
FreeNo entry fee, no team required
4 answers150–200 words each
Feb 2, 2027Essay deadline
How it works

Five steps, start to finish

Students apply as individuals, with a parent or guardian's permission. Everything happens through the national application portal.

STEP 1

Write

Answer four prompts: imagine a change, describe how you'd do it, find who could help, and connect it to a Founding Principle.

STEP 2

Create an account

Students set up their own account on the national portal and type responses directly into four text boxes.

STEP 3

Submit by February 2

The portal closes at 11:59 p.m. Hawaii Standard Time on Tuesday, February 2, 2027.

STEP 4

Advance

Top-scoring essays are invited to a live regional Bee: quiz rounds plus a Q&A with judges about their essay.

STEP 5

Prepare

Finalists receive the National Civics Bee Study Guide and free access to Khanmigo, Khan Academy's AI tutor.

Live Bees in Nevada

Where Nevada competes

Nevada's first competition cycle runs in spring 2027: two regional Bees feeding a State Final in Las Vegas. Exact days and venues are posted here as each is locked in.

Date confirmed

Northern Nevada Regional

Washoe, Carson City, Douglas, Lyon, Storey, Elko, and northern counties

Saturday, March 13, 2027

University of Nevada, Reno

Time, room, and public attendance details will be posted here in early 2027.

Day & venue pending

Southern Nevada Regional

Clark County and southern Nevada

April 2027

Exact day and host site to be announced

The month is set. Students should submit essays by February 2 either way: finalists are placed once the day is confirmed.

Day & venue pending

Nevada State Final

Regional winners from across the state

Late June 2027

Las Vegas

The State winner earns a trip to Washington, D.C. for the National Championship.

Nevada Bees hosted with

The Chamber, Reno + Sparks + Northern Nevada Vegas Chamber
One thing to get right on the application: finalists are routed to the nearest live Bee based on the home address entered in their application. Have students double-check their address and their parent or guardian's contact information before submitting. A typo there is the most common avoidable problem.
What students compete for

Prizes at every level

Regional Bees
$500
First place. Second $250, third $125.
State Finals
$1,000
First place. Second $500, third $250. The state winner travels to Washington, D.C.
National Championship
$100,000
Contribution to a 529 education savings account for the national champion. Second $25,000, third $15,000.

Amounts shown are anticipated minimums. All amounts are cash prizes except as indicated. The official Contest Rules govern.

For Nevada teachers

Your students are already doing this work

The Bee asks a middle schooler to name one change that would improve their school or community, explain how they'd pull it off, identify who could help, and connect it to a founding principle. If that sounds like a Project Community portfolio compressed into four short paragraphs, it is.

  • Promote or assign the essay. Required assignment or optional extra credit; both work.
  • Support submission. Students apply individually and need parent or guardian permission. Build in a permission window.
  • Celebrate participation. Every student who enters deserves the shout-out, not just the finalists.

That's the whole ask. No registration fee, no team to assemble, and no travel obligation unless one of your students advances.

Three ways to run it

One class period

Fast Track

A structured worksheet takes students from a blank page to a submission-ready draft. No outside research, no multi-day scaffolding. Use this if the deadline is close.

Two 45-minute periods

Writing Workshop

Day one: think-pair-share, brainstorming, and connecting ideas to Founding Principles. Day two: drafting, peer review, revision, and submission. Our default recommendation.

Two to four weeks

Extended Plan

Ten civics topics woven into regular U.S. history instruction, with primary sources and a mock Q&A round. Doubles as Nevada Civics Exam preparation.

Already running Project Community? Have students open their portfolio and answer the four prompts in 150–200 words each. Phase 1 becomes Question 1, Phases 3 and 4 become Question 2, Phase 5 becomes Question 3, and Question 4 asks them to name the founding principle their proposal rests on, the same question the hearing panel asks. Budget one class period.
Tell us you're in Essay Application Guide
2026–27 cycle

Dates to put on your calendar

Open now
The essay application portal is accepting submissions.
February 2, 2027
Essay deadline, 11:59 p.m. Hawaii Standard Time. Work backward from here.
March 13, 2027
Northern Nevada Regional Bee at the University of Nevada, Reno.
April 2027
Southern Nevada Regional Bee, exact day and venue to be announced.
Late June 2027
Nevada State Final, Las Vegas.
Summer 2027
National Championship, Washington, D.C.
Questions

Before you start

Who can enter?
Any student in 6th, 7th, or 8th grade at a public, private, charter, or home school anywhere in Nevada. There is no cost to apply or compete.
Does a student need a teacher to enter?
No. Teachers are encouraged to promote or assign the essay, but every entry is submitted individually by the student, and parent or guardian permission is required. A student whose teacher isn't running the Bee can still enter on their own.
What exactly does the essay involve?
Four short responses of roughly 150–200 words each, typed directly into four text boxes in the online application, not uploaded as a file. Students imagine one change that would improve their school or community, describe how they'd bring it to life, identify who could help, and connect the idea to Founding Principles and Civic Virtues. That last question carries 30 of the 100 points, the most of any prompt.
There's no Bee near us yet. Should we still apply?
Yes. Submit by February 2 regardless. Nevada has two regional Bees this cycle, in Reno and in southern Nevada, and finalists are placed at whichever is nearest. Check this page for updates, or add your name to the list and we'll notify you when the southern Nevada day and venue are set.
What if a student doesn't have internet access?
A paper application can be requested by emailing nationalcivicsbee@uschamber.com with the subject line "Mail-in Application Request." Mail-in applications must be postmarked by February 2, 2027 and arrive by February 13, 2027.
Does the Bee count toward the Nevada Seal of Civics?
Not directly. The Seal is a senior-year credential with its own requirements (GPA, social studies credits, the Nevada Civics Exam, citizenship scores, and a service-learning project). The Bee is grades 6–8, so its value is pipeline rather than credit: it reaches students at the age when they decide whether civic work is for them, and sends them into high school having already written and defended a policy argument.
Can I host or judge a Nevada Bee?
Please sign up here and choose "Judge or event volunteer" or "Host site, partner, or sponsor." Venue partners, volunteers, judges, and prize sponsors are exactly what determines how many Nevada students can realistically compete, particularly in southern Nevada.
Get involved

Nevada's first Civics Bee starts with one essay.

Students, apply through the national portal. Teachers, partners, judges, and sponsors, reach out and we'll get you what you need.

Enter the Bee Sign up for updates

Nevada Center for Civic Engagement · nvcce.org · engage@nvcce.org

The National Civics Bee® is created and organized by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, with the Bill of Rights Institute, the Johns Hopkins Institute for Education Policy, and Khan Academy as content and research partners. Nevada participation is coordinated by the Nevada Center for Civic Engagement with The Chamber (Reno + Sparks + Northern Nevada), the Vegas Chamber, and America 250 Nevada.

Prize amounts and dates are as published and subject to the official Contest Rules. In the event of any inconsistency, the Contest Rules control. The exact day and venue for the Southern Nevada Regional Bee and the Nevada State Final are not yet confirmed and are subject to change.

Questions about the national competition: nationalcivicsbee@uschamber.com · Questions about Nevada: engage@nvcce.org