Monday, the Georgia Chamber of Commerce announced that Kaden J., a civic leader representing Bennett’s Mill Middle School in Fayette County won the 2025 Georgia State Finals of the National Civics Bee. Kaden will now represent the state of Georgia in the National Championship, which will take place in Washington D.C. in the fall. Jackson C., representing Smokey Road Middle School in Coweta County finished second, and Vivienne K., representing Stallings Island Middle School in Columbia County finished third.

The Georgia State Finals of the National Civics Bee were hosted by the Georgia Chamber of Commerce and the Georgia Chamber of Commerce Foundation on June 27 and organized in partnership with The Civic Trust® of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation. The Civics Bee is an initiative aimed at encouraging more young Americans to engage in civics and contribute to their communities.

2025 is the first year the Georgia Chamber has hosted the Georgia State Finals of the National Civics Bee. Kinder Morgan served as Presenting Sponsor of the 2025 Georgia State Finals of the National Civics Bee.

The competition took place at the Carter Center in Atlanta.

The full list of the 22 participating Finalists and the schools they represented are:

Thomas B. – Union Grove Middle School 

Addison M. – Oak Hill Middle School 

Jackson C. – Smokey Road Middle School 

Elijah M. – Union Grove Middle School 

Chloe S. – Union Grove Middle School

Amelia T. – Oak Hill Middle School 

Anabel J. – Blake Bass Middle School

Kaden J. – Bennett’s Mill Middle School 

Elyse C. – The Heritage School 

Aisling C. – Whitewater Middle School 

Jade L. – McIntosh County Middle School 

Risha N. – Whitewater Middle School 

Teanna R. – Robert A. Cross Middle Magnet School 

Rajon R. – McIntosh County Middle School 

Trystan M. – McIntosh County Middle School 

Austin B. – Dean Rusk Middle School 

Madison P. – Trickum Middle School 

Laqueet S. – Mill Creek Middle School 

Vivienne K. – Stallings Island Middle School 

Keely S. – Riverside Middle School 

Alexander L. – Augusta Christian Schools 

Kaylin H. – Robert A. Cross Middle Magnet School

Kaden J., Champion of the 2025 Georgia State Finals of the National Civics Bee said:

"Public transportation was my issue is because climate change and global warming is a large problem, but that was too broad as a problem, so I wanted to tackle something that could help. And I know cars, since they're gasoline powered, they're producing a lot of CO2. If we can establish something where everyone in the community rides a bus, that would be less carbon going into the atmosphere, which would help slow down global warming. We're starting to hit that 1.5-degrees Celsius mark, that's going to be irreversible effects for global warming, and we only have about two years to stop it, so something does need to be done.”

Kaden added:

“The Civics Bee is a really great way to get involved. It's fun, and it's a hands on way to get involved in government. I think that's important, especially nowadays, you need to be aware of your rights. You need to know them, so no one can catch you by surprise, taking away your rights that you didn't know that you have. If you do competitions like these, you'll stay informed, you'll stay in the loop, and you'll know about your rights.”

Chris Clark, President & CEO of the Georgia Chamber said:

“Kaden is a true servant-hearted civic leader who will represent Georgia well in the Civics Bee National Championship. Developing the next generation of engaged citizens is a critical part of the Georgia Chamber’s mission. The 22 finalists who competed today demonstrate that Georgia’s future is in good hands and I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw a future governor or senator on stage.”

Hilary Crow, Vice President, Civics, U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation said:

“We are facing a civics crisis in America. Surveys show that 70% of adults cannot pass a basic civics quiz, and 79% of 8th graders fall below proficiency in civics. This threatens the strength, prosperity, and resilience of our nation. The National Civics Bee is dedicated to enhancing civics knowledge, skills, and disposition among young people and adults alike, inspiring the next generation to make a positive impact in their communities.

Allen Fore, Vice President, Public Affairs Kinder Morgan, the Presenting Sponsor of the 2025 Georgia State Finals of the National Civics Bee said:

“The National Civics Bee is important because it allows students to exhibit their renewed interest in civics. As a judge, I am most excited to see the students display their exceptional knowledge of the basic tenets of our government and help select one of Georgia’s outstanding representatives for the National Championship.”

Twenty-four civic leaders qualified for the State Finals, after finishing in the top three in their local civics bees, organized by local chambers of commerce. The eight chambers of commerce hosting local civics bee competitions were:

Albany Area Chamber of Commerce

Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture, Inc.  

Columbia County Chamber 

Darien-McIntosh County Chamber 

Fayette Chamber of Commerce 

Henry County Chamber of Commerce 

Milledgeville-Baldwin County Chamber Foundation  

Newnan-Coweta Chamber of Commerce, Inc.

The 2025 Georgia State Finals of the National Civics Bee consisted of a three-round competition. The first two rounds were multiple-choice questions, followed by a judged, Q&A round to test their civics knowledge. The judges for this year’s competition were:

Georgia State Senator Sonya Halpern (D-Atlanta)

Georgia State Representative Houston Gaines (R-Athens)

Leonte Benton, President, T. Dallas Smith & Company and Georgia Chamber Executive Committee At-Large Member

Allen Fore, Vice President, Public Affairs, Kinder Morgan

Terreta Rodgers, Head of Community Affairs, Atlanta Region, Amazon

Georgia State Senator Sonya Halpern (D-Atlanta) who served as a Judge said:

"Every student was remarkable. Their essays were fantastic; their delivery was great. Kaden stood out for his exuberance and presentation. He had well thought out answers to the questions that we posed, and he really understood the issue that he wanted to address. I especially appreciated that he tied public transportation to getting people moving around and to the environment. This speaks to the coalition building you have to do if you're ever going to do the solution.”