Are you smarter than a 6th grader? Western Pa. middle schoolers compete in Civics Bee

Which unmet constitutional standard did James Madison and Thomas Jefferson cite in their arguments against establishing a national bank?

If your answer to that query was not the “Necessary and Proper Clause,” you may not have performed well against the 18 middle school students who competed in the Civics Bee at Saint Vincent College’s Fred Rogers Center on Tuesday night.

Students from eight school districts across Fayette, Somerset and Westmoreland counties participated in the competition — the first of its kind in the tri-county region.

It served as a preliminary round for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s National Civics Bee, held annually since 2022. The top three performers from the local bee will advance to a statewide round in State College this summer, where one student will be selected for the final contest in November.

Briana Tomack, president and CEO of the Greater Latrobe-Laurel Valley Regional Chamber of Commerce, hopes the competition inspires the next generation of school board directors and town council members.

“Civic engagement is really important on all levels,” she said, “but I think if you present this to kids early on, they get it.”

Students pitch solutions to community problems

Students participated in two rounds of 10 multiple choice questions. The top five finishers advanced to the third round, where a panel of judges questioned each student for three minutes about the essay prompt they submitted as an application to the National Civics Bee.

Students discussed in the essays a problem or challenge they saw in their local community and proposed potential solutions.

Laurel Highlands eighth grader Brady Sirochman suggested that local governing boards should create youth positions to better engage young people in voting and serving.

“What I noticed is that people are more interested in something if they’re able to take part in it right now,” he said, “not just telling them, ‘Yeah, someday you’re going to be able to do this.’”

Matthew Martino, a seventh grade student at Greensburg Central Catholic, wrote about how competitive teacher salaries could contribute to effective student learning.

“I’m very excited,” Martino said in advance of the competition. “A little nervous, but happy to be here to share my essay and my topic.”

Seventh grade student Auzalie Minor submitted an essay to address the challenge of food insecurity among Somerset County families.

“I just thought it was cool to make people aware of some problems that could be fixed and even the view of students,” said Minor, who attends Rockwood Area Junior-Senior High School.

Kopas: Civic education ‘immensely important’

Westmoreland County Commissioner Ted Kopas, who served as emcee, encouraged the students to continue their interest in civics beyond the competition.

“Civic education is immensely important,” he said. “Whether you work in government like I do or not, having educated voters and learned citizens goes a long way toward us having the kind of community, the kind of country and the kind of world that we want.”

Scott Lee, vice president of marketing for the Erie County nonprofit Foundation for Free Enterprise, told the students they can make civics a part of their daily lives.

“Maybe you go up to that kid that’s sitting in the lunchroom eating alone and ask him if you could just sit down and eat with him,” he said. “Maybe the kid who’s struggling in your classroom, maybe go to your teachers and say, ‘Hey, I’m kind of getting this. Do you mind if I help that student out?’”

“The hope that you can give to someone who may be struggling or may be different from you — that is what civics is all about.”