Seward County will be one of seven regional host sites for the 2026 National Civics Bee and students in grades six through eight have until Feb. 3 to enter brief essays in the competition.
The Seward County Chamber and Development Partnership is partnering with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation to bring the regional competition to the Seward Civic Center on May 15 and the local event will be co-hosted by the League of Women Voters of Seward County.
Other regional competitions will be in Sarpy, Cheyenne (Sidney), Buffalo (Kearney), Platte (Columbus) and Dodge (Fremont) counties. Each must generate 50 essay entries to participate in the bee, which also includes a knowledge quiz segment.
Each region will advance three essay writers to the state finals in late spring, where the field will be narrowed to a single student to represent Nebraska at the national competition. Last year, students from 39 states participated in nationals.
This is Nebraska’s first year to take part in the bee as it becomes nationwide in honor of the United States’ 250th anniversary.
Middle school students in public, private and home schools can showcase their civic knowledge, engage in their communities and build trust through this nonpartisan, multi-round competition.
National finalists at the national level compete for cash prizes, national recognition and a $100,000 529 educational savings plan contribution. The Fisher Global Foundation will also make a $5,000 donation to each state winner’s school.
Hilary Crow, vice president of civics at the U.S. Chamber Foundation said the bee is a “powerful opportunity – and responsibility – to reignite civic learning across the country.”
“Our hope is that the National Civics Bee inspires more schools to prioritize civics education, equipping young people with a deeper understanding of how our government and democracy work – and the essential role they play in strengthening their communities and our nation,” she said.
SCCDP President and CEO Jonathan Jank said the bee invites the next generation to “learn about the importance of civic engagement and how it connects them with their community, county, state and nation.”
The League of Women Voters and SCCDP partner to host nonpartisan civic programs related to elections and issues, and share a goal of increasing public engagement in Seward County.
Nebraska students may enter their essays in any region of the state.
Essayists have until 11:59 p.m. Hawaii Standard Time on Feb. 3 to submit their entry. Each writer will respond to four questions to create their brief essay. Visit https://civics.uschamberfoundation.org/hcb-how-it-works/ or nationalcivicsbee.org for more information and links to guidance on preparing essays.
