ALAMOSA — If anyone is looking for a little shot of idealism, a reason to be optimistic about the future or a narrative that wisely counters the myth that “kids today only care  about social media and whatever else is on their phone”, it is strongly suggested that, when the Bee Civics 2027 competition is held in Alamosa, time is made to attend.

Last week, 20 middle school students from Alamosa-area schools competed in the 2026 National Civics Bee® regional competition. The event was held on the Adams State University campus and hosted by the Alamosa County Chamber of Commerce Foundation in partnership with the Colorado Chamber of Commerce Foundation, the Daniels Fund and the Civic Trust of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation.   

For those who are unfamiliar with this truly great program, Bee Civics is an opportunity for middle school students – sixth, seventh and eighth graders – to flex their civics knowledge.

They initially enter the competition by writing an essay on a subject of their choice and submitting it to the Bee Civics committee.  “All the essays were compiled together and the top twenty were selected to compete,” says Olivia How, events and programs director for the Alamosa County Chamber of Commerce and Alamosa Chamber Foundation and the person who organized and facilitated the event.

The students whose essays were ranked in the top twenty are then selected to participate in the competitive event where they compete with their peers in a live quiz format and answer questions from judges Dr. David Tandberg, president of ASU, and Ty Coleman, mayor of Alamosa, to test their civics knowledge.

The students’ knowledge of basic civics was clearly noteworthy but, for many, their essays, which they read aloud, had the most impact. And the topics, which they chose on their own, reflect an awareness of issues around them and their thoughtfulness in tackling some of the most difficult challenges today.

“What they wrote about really shows just how aware these students are,” How says. “I was very impressed by that. They’re still in middle school and they’re writing about issues that are discussed on the news every night.”

That very point was illustrated in the essay topics of the top three winners.

Ezekial (Zeke) P., Sanford School District, won first place. His essay was about “public knowledge” and the need for Sanford to have a public library.

Avery D., also from Sanford School District, won second place and wrote an essay about homelessness and drug use, saying she “sees homeless people and people using drugs everyday.”

Third place went to Areeya G. of Sierra Grande School District who wrote an essay about similar topics.

"We are incredibly proud to host our first-ever Regional Civics Bee here in Alamosa,” said Erin Keck, executive director of the Alamosa County Chamber of Commerce and Alamosa Chamber Foundation. “This event is about inspiring young people to understand the importance of civic knowledge, critical thinking, and being active participants in their communities. Providing students with opportunities like this helps build the next generation of informed and engaged citizens, and we’re honored that Alamosa has the opportunity to be part of that effort.” 

When asked what they learned from the experience, Zeke says he’s always been interested in civics and this taught him that it’s important to also get involved. “I think I’ll use what I learned in this competition for a long time. This kind of thing is what I want to do when I’m older.”

Avery agreed, saying the experience was important in a lot of ways and helped her improve things she is already practicing, like “speaking in front of a lot of people.” She also says, “I thought about [homelessness] already but writing the essay also taught me to really think about what I was writing and why it’s an important problem that people need to pay attention to.”

Unfortunately, the Valley Courier was unable to connect with Sierra Grande student Areeya G. before she left the competition.

Zeke, Avery and Areeya will now have the chance to participate in the state-level competition hosted by the Colorado Chamber of Commerce in Denver on July 24, 2026. The Colorado state champion will advance to the National Civics Bee® competition in Washington, D.C. in Fall 2026, to compete for the national title. 

 “We’re proud to continue working with our regional partners across Colorado, strengthening our shared commitment to fostering civic engagement for the next generation,” says Colorado Chamber Foundation Executive Director Rachel Beck. “Each regional civics bee showcases the growth of this program and the impressive level of knowledge demonstrated by students. By investing in civic education, we’re helping prepare young Coloradans to be informed, engaged participants in our democracy. Congratulations to this year’s regional finalists and we look forward to welcoming them to Denver to compete for the state title!”

“Civic engagement starts at home. When students see leadership in action in their own communities, it changes how they see their role in the world,” says Hanna Skandera, president and CEO of the Daniels Fund, founding partner of the National Civics Bee. "We’re proud to stand with our regional partners to inspire the next generation of informed, engaged leaders."

The first-place winner of the local competition received a $500 cash prize and all three finalists are invited to participate in the statewide competition.

The top three winners of the state competition will receive cash prizes of $1,000 for first place, $500 for second place and $250 for third place. The state champion will have the opportunity to compete in the national competition, which includes $100,000 for the first place winner, $25,000 for second place, and $15,000 for third place.  

Bee Civics 2026 was hosted by the Alamosa County Chamber of Commerce Foundation n partnership with the Colorado Chamber of Commerce Foundation, the Daniels Fund and the Civic Trust of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation.

Sponsors, listed in order of highest sponsorship, included: CHFA, Ent Credit Union, WSB Computers, CFSLV, Southern Colorado Community Foundation, City of Alamosa, SLV Health, Adams State University, Alcon Construction, Trinidad State College, First Southwest Bank, Fable Communications, RE/MAX and Denver Air Connection.