Colorado civics bee crowns middle school champion who will now compete nationally

Seventeen Colorado middle schoolers sat in front of a crowd of onlookers Friday, answering a series of perplexing questions about United States civics. The winner of the competition will go on to compete in the National Civics Bee later this year.

The Colorado Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with the Civic Trust of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation and the Daniels Fund, held the state's leg of the National Civics Bee at the Cable Center at the University of Denver on Friday morning.

The competition — culminating the winners of other smaller competitions in the state — saw 17 6th, 7th and 8th grade students compete in a round of multiple-choice civics questions and then a round of pitching forward-thinking ideas to a panel of judges.

Following the three-hour competition, three top winners were selected to receive cash prizes from the Colorado Chamber and sponsor Chevron Corporation.

The top-three winners included:

• First place: Joseph Drexler, Darren Patterson Christian Academy, Buena Vista
• Second place: Anna Metzl, Kent Denver School, Englewood
• Third place: Ram Yalavarthy, Drake Middle School, Arvada

First-place winner, Joseph Drexler, will now go on to compete in the first-ever National Civics Bee in Washington, D.C. in November where middle schoolers will compete for the national title and more than $50,000 in prizes.

Hanna Skandera, the President and CEO of the Daniels Fund, helped launch the event two years ago to help students get engaged in social studies and civics.

“If you look at the data today, one in three Americans cannot pass the U.S. Citizenship test and one in five cannot name a single branch of government so we’ve got work to do,” Skandera told The Denver Gazette's news partner, 9News. “We wanted to be part of equipping the next generation to be engaged citizens that are truly ready to make a difference and lead this country.”

The Daniels Fund is trying to get 6th, 7th and 8th graders engaged in civics through the National Civics Bee. The group started local competitions in all 50 states with hopes of reaching at least 1 million people by 2030. The goal is to help increase respectful civil discourse, understand how to engage in the political process and foster a greater appreciation for our democratic systems.

The statewide bees started in 2023. The national competition will host its first event in November.

Ram Yalavarthy, who placed third in this year's competition, received $1,000 in the 2023 State Civics Bee after taking first place.

“It was so surreal,” Yalavarthy told 9News. “They were like ‘Ram Yalavarthy’ and I was like, ‘Oh, that’s my name’ so then I walked up, grabbed the big check and smiled.”

To Yalavarthy, the information he learns for the competition isn't just trivia — it will be important for his generation.

“We’re going to be the future of America,” Yalavarthy said. “That’s why we need this information now so that we can build on it once we get older and make informed decisions.”

9News contributed to this report