ST. CLOUD, Fla. — A St. Cloud student finished second in the National Civics Bee on Wednesday, representing Florida against students from across the country.
Araoluwa A., a freshman at NeoCity Academy in Kissimmee, competed against 51 other finalists at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce headquarters in Washington, D.C., according to The Osceola Chamber.
The championship brought together representatives from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and American Samoa. Competitors were in sixth through eighth grades during the 2025-26 school year.
Students begin the competition by writing an essay identifying a community issue and proposing ways to address it. Araoluwa’s essay focused on human trafficking awareness.
According to his National Civics Bee profile, he explored ways to prevent exploitation and support people affected by trafficking.
From regional finalist to state champion
Araoluwa qualified for the Florida competition after placing third at The Osceola Chamber’s regional bee April 17 at Rosen Centre Orlando.
Then an eighth grader at Voyager K-8 in St. Cloud, he competed against 19 other students in rounds of multiple-choice questions and a question-and-answer session with judges.
He won $100, a trophy and a place in the state competition.
On June 30, Araoluwa won the Florida State Civics Bee in Tallahassee, earning $1,000 and the opportunity to represent Florida nationally.
It was an improvement on his 2025 performance, when he won the regional competition before finishing fourth at the state level.
Applications open for next year
Students in sixth, seventh and eighth grades at public, private, charter and home schools can now apply for the 2027 National Civics Bee.
The competition begins with an essay submission. Applications are due Feb. 2, 2027.
Families can find details and apply through the National Civics Bee website.
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