20 Students Competed in Greater Williamsburg in the National Civics Bee, Presented by the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation.

Williamsburg, VA- The Greater Williamsburg Chamber of Commerce (GWCC) hosted the regional competition for this year’s National Civics Bee on March 25 at Jamestown Settlement. The event was presented by the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation and made possible through a partnership between the GWCC, the National Civics Trust, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation.

The competition encourages middle school students to engage in civics and contribute to their communities. To qualify, students submitted essays addressing civic issues important to them. The GWCC received submissions from students across the region.

Middle school students from across the region competed last Wednesday night in the regional level of the National Civics Bee. Above, each student posed with the Bee’s Judges, Vice Chair of the James City Board of Supervisors Ruth Larson, City of Williamsburg Vice Mayor Pat Dent & York County Chairman Douglas Holroyd along with GWCC CEO Terry Banez and emcees Alex Powell & Leon Vaughan. 


After an initial round of essay judging, 20 finalists were selected to take part in the Regional Civics Bee. Those students were:

  • Adam S.

  • Adeline D.

  • Anna R.

  • Berrit L.

  • Brian G.

  • Catherine D.

  • Elizabeth (Lizzie) C.

  • Gabrielle H.

  • Gavin O.

  • Jameson S.

  • Jordan A.

  • Julia G.

  • Kyleigh W.

  • Maddox M.

  • Madison S.

  • Magdalena Q.

  • Marguerite F.

  • Nadia C.

  • Nathan H.

  • Thomas C.

The Civics Bee consisted of three rounds. The first two rounds were multiple-choice, with the top five students advancing to the final round. Participants used tablets provided by Technology Sponsor Cox Communications, which students were able to take home to support their continued learning.

The final round featured a Q&A session with judges, Vice Chair of the James City Board of Supervisors Ruth Larson, City of Williamsburg Vice Mayor Pat Dent & York County Board of Supervisors Chairman Douglas Holroyd.

Questions were based on the finalists’ essays, which focused on civic issues they are passionate about addressing in their communities. Following the final round, judges deliberated while attendees enjoyed an incredible musical performance by a saxophone quartet from the Williamsburg Youth Orchestra.

A Saxophone Quartet from the Williamsburg Youth Orchestra performing at the Civics Bee, presented by Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation.

Once the scores were tallied, the evening’s winners were as followed:

  • In third place, and winning a $125 cash prize was Thomas C.

  • In second place, and winning a $250 prize was Marguerite F.

  • And in first place, winning the $500 cash prize was Magdalena Q.

From left: The Winners of the National Civics Bee, presented by the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation were, third-place Thomas C. second-place Marguerite F. and first-place Magdalena Q. stand with CEO of the Greater Williamsburg Chamber of Commerce, Terry Banez.

Each of the top three finishers will advance to the state-level competition, hosted on July 24 by the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. There, students from across Virginia will compete for larger prizes, with the first-place winner receiving a $1,000 cash prize and the opportunity to represent the Commonwealth at the national competition later this year in Washington, D.C.

The event also featured the VA250 Mobile Museum Experience, a hands-on traveling exhibit titled Out of Many, One, housed in a quad-expandable tractor-trailer that tours across the Commonwealth and beyond.

The GWCC extends its appreciation to all participating students, from those who submitted essays to those who competed on stage, for their commitment to civic engagement.

Special thanks to presenting sponsor Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation and Technology Sponsor Cox Communications for helping make this event possible.

Tyler