Araoluwakiitan Afolabi of Voyager K-8 in St. Cloud won the inaugural Osceola Chamber Civics Bee on April 25. With the win, Afolabi now will go on to compete in the National Civics Bee Florida State Finals at Florida State University in Tallahassee on May 31 with the opportunity to win additional cash prizes. The first-place winner of the State Finals will earn a trip to Washington, D.C. to compete in the National Championship in the Fall of 2025. Prizes at the National Championship include a grand prize of $100,000 for first place, $25,000 for second place, and $15,000 for third place.
Afolabi took home the tablet used in competition, $500 cash and a National Civics Bee t-shirt and goody bag.
Last November, The Osceola Chamber worked with the Osceola County School District to invite middle schoolers in 6th, 7th, and 8th grades from public, private, charter, and home schools to participate in a civics essay competition as a first round. Community leaders from across the country reviewed the essays, and the top 20 highestscoring students from the area were invited to participate in a live competition.
“Our great country and every community within the United States is built on the foundation of civics. Middle schoolers are at the perfect age to become better informed about American democracy as well as learn to respectfully and constructively engage in our community,” Osceola Chamber CEO John Newstreet said. “The National Civics Bee provides a great platform for our young Americans to build greater trust in others and in our institutions.
