2 Franklin Middle School Students To Compete In National Civics Bee

REISTERSTOWN, MD — Two Franklin Middle School students will participate in the National Civics Bee this spring along with eight other Maryland students.

The Maryland Chamber Foundation selected 10 middle school students based on their 500-word essays themed around civics, to compete in the National Civics Bee on May 7 at Bowie State University.

Nearby Northwest Academy of Health Sciences in Pikesville also has one student competing in the bee, which will consist of a live quiz-style event testing students' civic knowledge.

The ten finalists hail from nine different public, private and home schools across Maryland, officials announced Thursday:

• Celeste D., The Key School, grade 6
• Charlie H., New Hope Academy, grade 7
• Elizabeth S., Oakland Mills Middle School, grade 8
• Gianna S., home school, grade 6
• Jacqueline N., Redland Middle School, grade 8
• Michael A., Franklin Middle School, grade 8
• Ogala N., home school, grade 8
• Oluwanifemi A., Franklin Middle School, grade 7
• Rayn M., Northwest Academy of Health Sciences, grade 7
• Sahasra K., Chapelgate Christian Academy, grade 6

The Maryland Chamber Foundation in February launched the 2022 National Civics Bee — a pilot program organized by The Civic Trust of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation to encourage young Americans to contribute to their communities.

Sponsored by Amazon, the competition in Maryland encourages middle school students to become better informed about and to engage in American democracy.

Maryland State Board of Education President Clarence Crawford will deliver the keynote address at the civics bee, where he and the following judges will determine the winner: Delegate Anne Kaiser, a Democrat representing Montgomery County; and Deborah Phelps, executive director of the Education Foundation of Baltimore County Public Schools.

“We were impressed by the caliber of essays we received from students in 47 ZIP codes across our state on important public issues in their communities and are honored to have such an esteemed panel of judges joining us for the competition to test their knowledge," said Maryland Chamber Foundation Executive Director and Executive Vice President of the Maryland Chamber of Commerce Whitney Harmel of the 101 submissions to enter the bee. “Sparking an interest in civics in the next generation is critical for a prosperous, unified Maryland in the long-term."