News

Local middle schoolers have a chance to dive into civic engagement, test their knowledge and win cash prizes during the 2025 National Civics Bee, hosted by the Forest Grove/Cornelius Chamber of Commerce.

In partnership with The Civic Trust — a branch of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation — the Forest Grove competition encourages young people to deepen their understanding of American democracy, engage constructively in their communities and foster trust in local institutions.

This is the first year the event is open to all chambers of commerce nationwide, with the Forest Grove/Cornelius and Tigard chambers selected as the only local organizations to host the competition in Oregon.


“The Forest Grove/Cornelius Chamber is participating in the National Civics Bee because we believe that informed and active citizens make for a strong country, a strong economy and a strong workforce, and that our continued prosperity depends on the strength of all three. Through the Bee, we are promoting greater civic knowledge in Oregon and celebrating our civic pride,” the chamber said on its website.

The competition invites Washington County students in grades 6 through 8 — whether attending public, private, charter schools, or homeschool programs — to submit essays by Feb. 4, outlining how they would use civics to address a community challenge.

A panel of local judges will review submissions and select the top 20 students to advance to their local competition: a live, in-person event featuring two rounds of civics questions followed by a Q&A round to test their civics knowledge.

The Forest Grove/Cornelius Chamber is finalizing plans to hold its local competition in March or April, with Forest Grove High School as the anticipated venue. The Tigard chamber will host its local competition March 8 at Fowler Middle School.

Winners from each local competition will earn prizes, with the top student receiving at least $500. Local champions will advance to the state finals in Salem, where the top performer will win a trip to Washington, D.C., to compete in the national championship for prizes worth at least $50,000 in fall 2025.


The Forest Grove/Cornelius Chamber is still looking for sponsors to support the local Civics Bee, encouraging those interested to contact 503-357-3006 or Info@fgcchamber.org.