VISTA — Civics is making a comeback.
On Saturday, eight local middle school students participated in San Diego County’s first Civics Bee at the AVO Playhouse in Vista. The middle school competition for sixth through eighth grades is part of the broader National Civics Bee started by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation in 2022.
The national chamber coordinates with local chambers and nonpartisan civic organizations to host regional competitions and state competitions. This year marks the first time San Diego County has hosted, as the Vista Chamber of Commerce hosted on Saturday, followed by the Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce on May 14 at Thermo Fisher Scientific, according to Vista Chamber Chief Executive Officer Rachel Beld and Carlsbad Chamber CEO Bret Schanzenbach.
“It’s programs like this that highlight just how smart and capable and creative young people are today,” Beld added. “This generation is not given nearly enough credit for the attributes they collectively hold. This generation is going to do incredible things to make our world a better place.”
Vista had 14 finalists and eight participants at the bee, while Carlsbad had more than 90 submissions, which were trimmed down to 20 finalists
