Civics Buzz

The Buzz on Civics: Writing a Winning Essay

Dec 9, 2025

Maryland middle schoolers: your essay is the first big step in the National Civics Bee®. This is your chance to showcase your ideas, creativity, and understanding of your community!

This is not just another school assignment. It is an opportunity to think deeply about what matters to you and how you can help make a difference. Whether your idea focuses on your school, your neighborhood, or your state, your voice has power, and your essay is where that voice begins to shine.

How to Start Your Essay

Start by thinking about a challenge or issue in your community that you care about. Ask yourself:

What’s a problem I’ve noticed around me?
Who does it affect?
What’s one realistic solution that could help?

You don’t have to solve everything in this essay. Even small, meaningful ideas can create change! The key is to show that you’ve thought about how and why your solution could make a difference.

Structuring Your Essay

The National Civics Bee® essay has four questions, and each one helps you organize your ideas clearly. Here’s how to think about each part:

Identify the Issue (100–150 words)
Start by describing a specific opportunity, problem, or challenge in your school, neighborhood, or town. What needs to be improved? Why does it matter to you or others in your community?

Describe Your Solution (150–200 words)
Explain the steps you would take to make this positive change happen. How would your idea work? Why is it a meaningful solution? Be practical, thoughtful, and realistic.

Find Support (100–150 words)
Think about who could help you bring your idea to life. This can be teachers, student groups, local businesses, nonprofits, or community leaders. Show that you understand how teamwork, partnerships, and community effort play a role in creating change.

Connect to Civic Values (150–250 words)
Explain how your idea relates to the values that shaped our country. Choose one or more Founding Principles or Civic Virtues and show how your solution reflects responsible citizenship. Use examples, but keep them simple and clear.

Check out the National Civics Bee® Student Essay Guide for examples, brainstorming prompts and step-by-step tips. Essay submissions are open now through Feb. 3, 2026.

Buzz-Worthy Tips

Prep Tip #2: Be informed but true to YOU

Use vocabulary that feels natural to you. It’s great to include relevant terms connected to your topic, but don’t use complicated words just to sound impressive. If you can’t confidently pronounce, explain, or remember a word, it doesn’t belong in your essay. Judges want to hear your voice and experience a clear, honest and well-understood pitch. Writing in a way that feels true to who you are will always make a stronger impact.

Performance Tip #2: Start Preparing for Round 3 (Your 3-Sentence Summary)

At the Regional Bee, there are 3 rounds. After 2 rounds of civics questions, the five highest-scoring students move on to Round 3. This is where you’ll share a three-sentence summary of your essay, followed by follow-up questions from the judges.

You can start building confidence now by practicing this at home. Write a short, clear 3-sentence summary of your idea, then ask a friend, family member, or teacher to come up with follow-up questions for you. Have them ask the questions in different orders, since the judges won’t ask everyone the same way on competition day. This early practice helps you get comfortable thinking on your feet and sharing your ideas with confidence.

What's Next

Up next in The Buzz on Civics: “How to Use the Civics Bee Study Guide.” We’ll break down what’s inside the guide and how you can start using it now to build confidence for the competition rounds this spring.