By Eric Stann
July 31, 2025
Contact: Eric Stann, StannE@missouri.edu
A select group of Missouri middle schoolers are gearing up to showcase their civics knowledge on a statewide stage. On August 6, the University of Missouri’s Kinder Institute on Constitutional Democracy will host the inaugural state final of the Missouri Civics Bee presented by Google.
Endorsed by the America 250 Missouri Commission, the Civics Bee is one of several events the institute has planned to commemorate the nation’s past, present and future during America’s 250th birthday.
“The Kinder Institute is proud to host the inaugural Missouri Civics Bee,” Jay Sexton, director of the Kinder Institute, said. “By engaging middle school students in our nation’s history and ideas through rewarding competition, we are helping more Missourians to learn about our nation and its ideals.”
The fast-paced, quiz-bowl-style competition challenges bright middle school students to demonstrate their knowledge of U.S. history, government and the Constitution. The winner of the 90-minute event, held in partnership with the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry, will advance to the National Civics Bee Championship in Washington, D.C.
For Rudy Hernandez, who will emcee the event, it will mark a personal milestone — a chance to give back to the kind of civics education that first sparked his own passion.
“I still remember the energy and excitement my middle school teachers brought to history class,” said Hernandez, an associate teaching professor at the Kinder Institute and Mizzou’s College of Arts and Science. “They helped me fall in love with the Constitution and the political process. Now I get to help inspire the next generation.”
This year’s finalists are nine middle school students representing the Waynesville-St. Robert, Grain Valley and Harrisonville chambers of commerce. The students earned their spots by competing in qualifying rounds earlier this year at the local level.
The Missouri Civics Bee, part of a national initiative organized by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, is aimed at strengthening civics education and engagement among youth. But the event is about more than memorizing facts.
Hernandez said it’s a launchpad for building real-world skills.
Building informed citizens and future leaders
Hernandez and his fellow organizers hope to grow the event in future years by encouraging more chambers of commerce across Missouri to host local qualifying rounds. Doing so could open the door to more students and help spread the benefits of civic learning to communities statewide.
“Civics education helps students understand not just how government works, but why it matters,” Hernandez said. “We’re giving them the building blocks — just like we do with multiplication tables — so they can grow into informed, engaged citizens.”
From public speaking to critical thinking to respectful debate, the competition also helps students learn how to communicate across differences — a skill Hernandez believes is crucial to the future of democracy.
“It teaches students that politics isn’t just arguing — it’s listening, learning and working together,” he said. “And it shows them that they have a voice, even at a young age.”
Hernandez, who helps lead the Kinder Institute’s summer camp for high schoolers, also sees the Missouri Civics Bee as a key piece of a growing pipeline to civic leadership.
“Today’s Civics Bee participant could be tomorrow’s lawyer, judge, mayor or even a member of Congress,” he said. “Events like these are how we promote public education to help find that talent, uncover it and help it shine.”
