A regional competition of the 2026 National Civics Bee, an initiative by The Civic Trust of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, will be held in Western Kentucky this spring.
The National Civics Bee is aimed at encouraging more young Americans to engage in civics and contribute to their communities. All 6th, 7th and 8th grade students in public, private and home schools in Kentucky are invited to apply.
The Western Kentucky regional competition will be held at The Carson Center in Paducah on April 25. The Civics Bee is open to students across Western Kentucky.
The Paducah Area Chamber of Commerce was selected by the U.S. Chamber to host the regional competition for the fourth year in a row.
“This is a unique opportunity for our local students and schools to enhance civics education. We encourage students from all counties in West Kentucky to apply,” said Sandra Wilson, Paducah Chamber President/CEO. “Last year’s winner, Ava Bogard, went on to win the state competition and finished 5th in the country. We hope to inspire middle schoolers to become better informed about American democracy and engage respectfully and constructively in the community.”
Students can visit paducahchamber.org/ncb to access the application portal dashboard where they can submit their essay. The deadline for student essay submissions is February 3, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. Hawaii Standard Time.
After the application portal closes, the essays will be reviewed by a panel of judges and the top 20 students in Western Kentucky will be selected to test their civics knowledge and compete in the regional, live quiz competition in Paducah.
The finalists and top winners will receive various prizes, including $500 cash for the first-place student. The top three winners at the Western Kentucky competition will then have a chance to compete against other middle school students from across the state at the state level competition in Louisville.
Schools have received information and have been encouraged to distribute information about the essay application process to their students.
For more information on the essay topic, competition rules and prizes, and for students to submit essays, visit paducahchamber.org/ncb.
