The Mansfield Center is partnering with the National Chamber of Commerce Foundation to host the 2026 Montana Civics Bee for middle school students. Students who participate will strengthen their civics, writing, and public speaking skills, and form friendships with other young leaders along the way!
A brief overview of the Montana Civics Bee:
- 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students must submit a 750-word (max) essay proposing their ideas for improving their community by February 3, 2026.
- Top-scoring essays will be invited to participate in a regional bee in Kalispell, Helena, or Miles City in spring 2026 for the chance to win cash prizes. Finalists from each regional bee will be invited to compete in the Montana State Civics Bee in Helena in early summer 2026 for the chance to win cash prizes at the state level. Here are the contest dates:
- Miles City Regional Civics Bee: Saturday, March 28th
- Helena Regional Civics Bee: Saturday, April 11th
- Kalispell Regional Civics Bee: Saturday, April 25th
- Helena State Bee: Saturday, June 6th
The winner of the State Bee will be sent on an all-expenses paid trip to Washington, DC to compete in the National Civics Bee in fall 2026 for the chance to win $100,000 towards college.
To apply, visit the National Civics Bee webpage and create an account to access the application portal.
Even if you don't plan on having students compete in the bee, it's worth checking out the resources the Mansfield Center has gathered, including this list of Civics Resources for Teachers and essay writing guide and prompts. Having students identify a problem, describe the steps they would take to ameliorate it, identify the support they would need to bring their idea to life, and then connect their solution to founding principles and civic virtues sounds like an amazing assignment, whether you bring students to participate in the bee or not.
Reach out to Kate Koenig at kate.koenig@mso.umt.edu with questions!
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