President’s Message: Come Cheer on Remarkable Young Utahns at the National Civics Bee® Utah State Finals

On June 26th, a roomful of Utah middle schoolers will remind all of us that the future of self-government is bright. The National Civics Bee® Utah State Finals, which the Salt Lake Chamber and Utah Chamber are proud to host again this year in partnership with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, takes place Friday, June 26 at Westminster University. The competition brings together 6th, 7th and 8th graders from across the state to test their knowledge of American democracy, discuss their ideas and compete for prizes.

Participating students responded to four short-answer prompts in essay form, proposing ideas to improve their communities. Judges selected finalists to advance to regional competitions. The top three finalists from each local competition advanced to the State Finals and will now compete for prizes, with only one finalist from Utah going to nationals in Washington, D.C.

What strikes me most about this program is not just the competition itself, but also what it represents. These students are not waiting until adulthood to participate in public life. They are already studying how government works, identifying challenges in their neighborhoods and proposing thoughtful solutions. They are practicing the habits of citizenship: civility, curiosity and constructive engagement, that our way of life depends on.

Civics is about learning how things work; learning how laws are made, how to speak up for what you believe and how to make your community better. It’s about knowing that democracy isn’t something that happens far away in Washington, D.C. It happens in your town, your school, your neighborhood. Civics isn’t just about facts or history. It’s about learning how you can make a difference, how to be involved, how to listen to others, how to stand up for what’s right and how to work toward solutions.

A strong economy needs strong communities, and strong communities need engaged citizens. The students competing on June 26 will be tomorrow’s employees, entrepreneurs, leaders and voters. I invite you to attend the National Civics Bee® Utah State Finals on Friday, June 26 at 1 p.m. Come cheer on these remarkable young Utahns, meet the families and educators who have supported them, and see for yourself what the next generation of civic leadership looks like. I promise you will leave more optimistic about Utah’s future than when you walked in.