Colorado student heads to Washington, D.C., for National Civics Bee Championship finals
One Colorado student is among the nation's best and brightest and is heading to Washington, D.C., to compete against students across the country who are engaged in civics.
Do you know who helped shape the role of the presidency before the Constitution even mentioned it? Cameron Parker does, among many other things.
After winning the Colorado State Civics Bee, Cameron, a student at Centaurus High School in Lafayette, is heading to the National Civics Bee Championship finals, where he'll represent the state and has a chance to win $100,000 in education savings. The competition is stiff; of the over 7,000 students who entered this year, only the top three winners from each regional competition advance to the state finals. Of those, one finalist from each state moves on to the national finals to compete for the big prize.
"I think so far I've done about 80 hours total of studying," Cameron said, reflecting on the preparation it has taken to reach this level.
Students in the competition not only have to be well-versed in civics knowledge, they also have to be engaged in improving their communities. Cameron's essay on emergency preparedness helped him earn one of the top spots.
His hard work hasn't gone unnoticed. Cameron recently received recognition at the Colorado State Capitol, where lawmakers applauded his achievement.
"I'm super proud of Cameron Parker," said State Sen. James Coleman. "Out of all the kids in the country, we have an amazing young man here in Colorado representing our state."
Coleman says civics education is vital at any age, especially now.
"With all the negativity around politics and in the world, I think it's important to understand the value of government and how it can actually impact lives in a positive way," he said.
Cameron agrees. For him, competing in the Civics Bee is about more than winning.
"The more education you have and the more you care about civics, the less of that toxicity is present," he explained.
The championships will take place on Nov. 11. Those who would like to watch the competition live can register through the National Civics Bee National Championship site here.
