The Columbia County Chamber is proud to announce the winner of its inaugural National Civics Bee Local Level Competition, held on April 24, 2025 at Grovetown High School. Twenty middle school students from across the region competed in the event, which tested their civics knowledge and essay writing skills. The top three students will now advance to the state level of the National Civics Bee in Atlanta, Georgia on June 27^th. 

The first-place winner was Vivienne K., an 8th grade student from Stallings Island Middle School. Alexander L., an 8th grader from Augusta Christian Schools, earned second place, and Keely S., an 8th grader from Riverside Middle School, placed third. First through third place winners earned cash prizes and trophies. Each of the twenty students who competed in this week’s finals received a certificate and an Amazon Fire tablet 

The event was hosted in partnership with the Columbia County School District and Managed Nerds. The competition was emceed by Jennie Montgomery of WJBF and judged by Dr. Tom Clark (CSRA Alliance for Fort Eisenhower), Jodi Lott (Former Georgia House of Representatives), and Dr. Jackson Drumgoole (Wellstar MCG Health Medical Center).

The National Civics Bee is an initiative designed to encourage young Americans to engage in civics and contribute to their communities. For more information about the National Civics Bee and upcoming competitions, visit ColumbiaCountyChamber.com/national-civics-bee.