This month, two West Liberty middle school students – Georgia Clark and Olivia DeShazo – competed in the local level of the National Civics Bee, held in Des Moines.
Meant to inspire young Americans to engage with civics and contribute to their communities, the annual National Civics Bee judges participants on their civic literacy and skills.
The students first each qualified for the competition by writing a civics essay responding to three prompt questions. Both essays scored high enough for them to advance to the competitive level.
“The competition was a really great experience,” Clark said. “I was a little nervous at first, but I quickly found my rhythm, and ended up having a lot of fun.”
“It was a great experience, and I wish that I could do it again. I hope to encourage more to participate in the future,” DeShazo said.
At the end of the competition, DeShazo won 4th place and received a new tablet, while Clark won 1st place, receiving $500, a tablet, and advancement to the state level of the competition. Clark will be competing alongside 11 other Iowa finalists later this summer for a $1,000 prize and a trip to Washington D.C. to compete at the national championship.
“I learned a lot through this competition, and I can’t wait to move on to state to compete for a spot in Nationals,” Clark said.
Madison Edwards, a Talented and Gifted teacher at West Liberty Middle School, praised the students for their success in the Civics Bee. “Mrs. (Jackie) Henderson and I are so very proud of Georgia and Olivia. The girls have put in a tremendous amount of effort preparing for the Civics Bee, and it is extremely rewarding to watch all of their hard work pay off.”