The Columbia County Chamber of Commerce is proud to announce the 20 finalists from the Greater Augusta Region that will be advancing in the 2025 National Civics Bee Competition. The middle schoolers were chosen from a pool of local students who submitted essays proposing ideas to improve their communities. After being scored by judges across the country, the following candidates were selected to move on to the live portion of the competition on April 24^th at Grovetown High School:

• Abbie N. - Grovetown Middle School

• Adalyn P. - Homeschool Program

• Alexander L. - Augusta Christian School

• Atticus G. - Lakeside Middle School

• Aubrie F. - Columbia Middle School

• Brianna M. - Columbia Middle School

• Charlotte A. - Columbia Middle School

• Elizabeth R. - Columbia Middle School

• Emilee N. - Westminster Schools of Augusta

• Gabrielle S. - Grovetown Middle School

• Henry W. - Columbia Middle School

• John E. - Westminster Schools of Augusta

• Keely S. - Riverside Middle School

• Kyleigh B. - Columbia Middle School

• Kylie W. - Columbia Middle School

• Maddy V. - Westminster Schools of Augusta

• Sadie P. - Columbia Middle School

• Suhrudh M. - Greenbrier Middle School

• Vivienne K. - Stallings Island Middle School

• Wyatt V. - Greenbrier Middle School

A special congratulations goes to Columbia Middle School for having the most essay submissions for the competition, earning them a pizza party for their efforts.

 The top three finalists from the upcoming April event will have the opportunity to advance to the State Finals in Atlanta, Georgia, in June. From there, they could move on to the national stage in Washington, D.C. in November where they will have the chance to win prizes worth over $50,000.

The National Civics Bee® is organized by The Civic Trust® of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, in partnership with local and state chambers of commerce across the country. For more information on the competition or to learn more about the Columbia County Chamber of Commerce’s workforce development initiatives, visit ColumbiaCountyChamber.com.