Chelsea Chamber of Commerce and Chelsea Public Schools onstage finalists and judges at a civic-education contest that organizers called Chelsea's first “Civic Speak,” announcing that 10 students will advance to the Massachusetts state civics competition on May 20 at the Edward M. Kennedy Institute in Dorchester.

The event featured 20 high-scoring student finalists drawn from 53 essay submissions, a three-round quiz and a live-question round judged by a panel of community volunteers. State Representative Judith Garcia, who grew up in Chelsea, congratulated participants and said the turnout showed local civic interest: “Chelsea — small but mighty,” she said. City Councilor Todd Taylor told students that staying engaged in public life is critical and cautioned that “discourse is a fancy word for a conversation,” urging the contestants to keep paying attention to government.

Organizers said 19 of the 20 finalists attend Chelsea public or charter schools; one finalist came from New Bedford. Competition rules used two multiple-choice quiz rounds (30-second timers after questions are read) and a final round in which five top scorers delivered three-sentence essay summaries and answered judges’ questions. Correct answers in the quiz rounds received one point; ties for fifth place would have been resolved with a three-question tiebreaker. Judges reported cumulative scoring that combined rounds 1–3 to determine the top finishers.

Sponsors and partners provided equipment and prizes: Global Partners donated tablets used by finalists, Metro Credit Union supplied trophies and participation medals, and local businesses contributed refreshments. City parks and recreation staff — staff members identified as Charlie, Bianca and Alex — provided the venue and event support, and the Chamber said it will share student essays publicly. The chamber also listed community partners at the event, including SCORE, DECA and local civic groups.

Organizers identified the competition as a pathway: the top three finishers plus seven additional high-ranking students will represent Chelsea at the state event on May 20; one state winner will go on to the national competition in Washington, D.C. The Chamber said it will publish the full list of the 10 students advancing and share essays and photographs after the event.

Event organizers and elected officials framed the event as a civic-education effort rather than a policy action. No formal government decisions or votes were taken during the program. The Chamber encouraged families and the public to attend the state competition and to support local civic-engagement programming that produced the finalists.

Details clarified from the event record: there were 53 essay submissions overall, the contest used three rounds (two rapid-response multiple-choice rounds followed by a judged oral round), a panel of 13 judges was assembled with five live-event judges onstage, and finalists received certificates and medals with trophies for the top three places. The state competition was identified as taking place May 20 at the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate in Dorchester; organizers said 10 Chelsea students will participate there.