During a recent government meeting, the Canton Chamber of Commerce celebrated the achievements of three local students who excelled in the inaugural National Civics Bee competition. Thomas Paden, President of the Chamber, highlighted the significance of the event, which aims to engage middle school students in civic education and community involvement.

This year marked the first participation of the Michigan Chamber of Commerce, alongside six local chambers, in the National Civics Bee, designed to inspire young Americans to become active citizens. The competition encourages students in grades 6 through 8 to explore civic principles through a 500-word essay addressing community issues that could be resolved through collective action.

The Canton Chamber successfully recruited 39 essays, primarily from Plymouth County Community Schools, thanks to the efforts of Rania Hamoud, the district's Curriculum Coordinator for Social Studies. The essays were evaluated by a panel of judges, with the top 20 advancing to a live competition hosted at Eastern Michigan University in April. The three highest-scoring students then competed at the state level in Lansing.

Evan, a student from East Middle School, emerged as a standout, securing first place at the state competition and earning the opportunity to represent Canton at the National Competition in Washington, D.C., on November 12, where he will compete for a $50,000 scholarship. Rawan from Discovery Middle School and Simon from West Middle School also received recognition for their achievements, placing first and second locally and at the state level, respectively.

The Chamber expressed gratitude to the educators and community members who contributed to the program's success, emphasizing the importance of fostering civic engagement among youth.