DALLAS The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation on June 15 held the 2024 National Civics Bee in Texas, an initiative aimed at encouraging more young Americans to engage in civics and contribute to their communities.
Taashvi Wadhwa from Manvel Junior High School was named the winner of the Texas State Finals, hosted at the George W. Bush Presidential Center by The Civic Trust of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation.
“In recent years, Americans’ civics knowledge has fallen significantly, with more than 70% failing a basic civic literacy quiz. At the same time, 79% of 8th graders score below proficient in civics,” Hilary Crow, vice president of civics at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, said in a news release. “Through the National Civics Bee, we aim to reverse this trend, and inspire a new generation of Americans to be civically engaged and active in shaping the future of our communities and our nation.”
Fifteen finalists from local competitions across Texas advanced to take part in the state-level competition. Students participated in a live quiz event and answered questions from judges to test their civic knowledge. Taashvi Wadhwa from Manvel Junior High School took first place, followed by Roshni Karunamurthy, Tays Junior High School, and Elijah Munoz, St. John’s Episcopal School, for second and third places, respectively.
The competition’s emcee was Andrew Kaufmann, director of communications and marketing at the George W. Bush Presidential Center. The judges for this year’s competition were Sarah Hepola, staff writer at the Dallas Morning News; Jessica Saywell, project manager of Citizen Travelers and strategic initiatives; and Jaynie Schultz, Dallas City Council Member, District 11.
Wadhwa impressed the judges with her compelling, well-researched, and data-driven argument for the necessity of public transportation in Pearland while providing practical solutions to address the economic and logistical challenges of implementation, the release said.
The finalists and top winners received various prizes, including $1,000 cash for the first-place student. In addition, the first-place winner will get the chance to travel to Washington, D.C., and compete amongst other state winners in the inaugural nationwide competition on Nov. 12.
For more information on the National Civics Bee, visit nationalcivicsbee.org.
The Civic Trust is a nonpartisan educational initiative of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation focused on elevating civics as a national priority with programs that advance and promote civic knowledge in schools, workplaces, and communities.
