Created and organized by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, the National Civics Bee® is an annual competition that encourages young Americans (6th-8th graders) to engage in civics and contribute to their communities. As they compete for prizes, finalists strengthen their civics, writing, and public speaking skills, and form friendships with other young leaders along the way.
To get involved with NCB, students must submit a 4-paragraph essay in response to the following prompts (150-200 words each):
IDENTIFY a specific opportunity, problem, or challenge in your community.
DESCRIBE the steps you would take to make this change.
FIND support to help you bring your idea to life. Who could help you, and how would they contribute?
CONNECT your idea to the values that shaped our country.
NM Chamber of Commerce Foundation & Albuquerque Public Schools
Benton Spradlin, Bspradlin@nmchamber.org;
Julie Ornelas, ornelas@aps.edu
Live Event: June 13, 2026, 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM, Berna Facio PD Center, Abq
YMCA of Central New Mexico
Hannah Wood, nmyag@ymcacnm.org
Live Event: May 9, 2026, 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM, Berna Facio PD Center, Abq
The Bridge of Southern New Mexico
Beth Williams, Beth@thebridgesofsnm.org
Mason Schuette, mason@thebridgeofsnm.org
Live Event: April 25, 2026, 12:00 to 3:00 PM, Las Cruces, NM
Hobbs Chamber of Commerce
Patty Collins, executive@hobbschamber.org
Live Event: May 2, 2026, Hobbs, NM
2026 NM State NCB Finals Event
Saturday June 13, 2026, Berna Facio PD Center (3315 Louisiana Blvd NE, Albuquerque, NM 87110)
10:30 AM to 11:00 AM: Special Guests, Emcee, Judge & Student Competitor Arrival & Settle In
11:00 AM to 12:00 PM: Reception with food & drink
12:00 to 2:00 PM: NCB Competition
2:00 to 2:30 PM: Award Presentation, Photos
NM State NCB Student Qualifiers
1st Place Las Cruces: Marcus Li, Las Cruces, NM, Essay Topic - Youth Violence
2nd Place Las Cruces: Levi Napie, T or C, NM, Essay Topic - Medical Drones
3rd Place Las Cruces: Anton Caesar, T or C, NM, Essay Topic -Diverse School Activities
1st Place Hobbs: Elizabeth Basiaka, Roswell, NM, Essay Topic - Food Insecurity
2nd Place Hobbs: Sophia Valdez, Roswell, NM, Essay Topic - Inclusion, Equality, & Responsibility
3rd Place Hobbs: Jacob Murillo, Hobbs, NM, Essay Topic - Inclusion
1st Place Albuquerque: Sheryl Lee, Albuquerque, NM, Essay Topic - Homelessness in Albuquerque
2nd Place Albuquerque: Eliza Sprinkle, Albuquerque, NM, Essay Topic - Drivers License Renewal Process
3rd Place Albuquerque: Kyle Isaacson, Albuquerque, NM, Essay Topic - Public Safety
Student Qualifier Resources:
Emcee, Judges, Keynote Speaker, Dist. Guests
Emcee: Mr. Robert Leming, President & CEO, NM Chamber of Commerce Foundation
Keynote Speaker: Ms. Sheri Jett, Chief Academic Officer, Albuquerque Public Schools
NCB Judge: Chief Judge Joseph J. Sanchez, Bernalillo County Metro Court Chief Judge
NCB Judge: Judge Rosemary Cosgrove-Aguilar, Bernalillo County Metro Court Judge
NCB Judge: Ms. Janelle Taylor-Garcia, Ph.D., NMPED Communications Manager
NCB Judge: Mr. Ken Collins, Director of Public Affairs, Kinder Morgan, Inc.
New Mexico National Civics Bee 2025-26 Timeline and Competition Structure:
Participation: Any 6th-8th grade student in New Mexico is welcome and encouraged to participate.
Essay: Students respond to a 3-question essay prompt proposing an idea to improve their communities. The Online Essay Portal is open now and essays are Due Tuesday February 17, 2026 at midnight. (New Date. Two Week Extension provided due to weather.)
Essay Prompts:
Identify a specific problem, challenge, or opportunity in your community.
What can you do to contribute to its improvement?
What individuals or organizations would you work with to accomplish your solution?
25-26 NCB Online Essay Application Portal (Students create an account on the portal and type their essay directly into the portal, then "Submit" it. They are able to save their work and return to the portal as many times as necessary.) *Formal Citations are not required.
Advancement to local In-Person NCB competitions in NM: Judges across the nation will review essays and select twenty (20) finalists to advance to each of the local NCB Competitions.
"Local" NCB Competitions will take place.
Students will compete at the local competition and the top 5 from each local competition will be invited to the state finals.
NM State NCB Finals will take place.
NCB National Championship: One finalist from New Mexico will be crowned and represent NM at the NCB National Competition in November 2026 in Washington, DC.
The 2025 New Mexico State National Civics Bee Finals was held on Saturday June 7, 2025 from 12:00 PM to 3:00 PM at the University of New Mexico SUB Ballroom A. The event was hosted by the NM Chamber of Commerce Foundation and the Albuquerque Public Schools.
NM State Finals NCB Finalists Listed In Order of Finish and Essay Topic:
Keith Lee, Albuquerque Academy MS--Education in NM
Sheryl Lee, Albuquerque Academy MS--Road Safety Challenges in Albuquerque
Ben Tran, Houston MS--Hobbs, NM--Homelessness
Samara Gonzales, Carlsbad Preparatory Academy--Mental Health
Alyssa Rocha Houston, Houston MS--Juvenile Offenders
Victoria Miller, Koogler MS--Aztec, NM--Civil Engagement
Anaya Faruk, Salam Academy--Albuquerque--Accessibility & Religion
Sasha Jimenez, Carlsbad Preparatory Academy--Waste & Littering
Miriam Yehl, Intermediate Prep Academy, NMMI--Roswell, NM--Foster Care
Izabella Baker, Rio Grande Academy of Fine Arts--Albuquerque--Domestic Abuse (Qualified but wasn't able to attend.)
Emcee Rob Leming Welcome
Guest Speaker Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver
Students Competing In Rounds 1 & 2
Alyssa Rocha Houston Presenting
Ben Tran Presenting
Samara Gonzales Presenting
Keith Lee Presenting
Judges: SOS Maggie Toulouse Oliver, Bern Co Clerk Michelle Kavanaugh, VP of Public Policy Alison Riley
Student Finalists, Judges, & Organizers
Organizer Benton Spradlin presenting to
Alyssa Rocha Houston-5th Place
Samara Gonzales-4th Place
Ben Tran-3rd Place
Sheryl Lee-2nd Place
Keith Lee-1st Place
Top 3 Finalists
Dignitaries & Legislators Who Attended on 6/7/25:
Maggie Toulouse Oliver, NM Secretary of State, Guest Speaker & Judge
Michelle Kavanaugh, Bernalillo County Clerk, Judge
Janelle Anyanonu, NM State District 19 Representative
Pamelya Herndon, NM State District 28 Representative
Natalie Figeroa, NM State Senator
Huge Appreciation to NM National Civics Bee Sponsors
Comcast: Presenting Sponsor, $3000
NM Oil & Gas Association (NMOGA): Impact, $2500
Albertsons Market Place: Impact, $2000
NM Veterans Memorial Foundation: Future Leader, $1500
Nusenda Credit Union: Community, $1000
University of New Mexico: Future Leader, In-Kind Contributions totaling $1815
NCB-NM State Finalist Confirmation Packet.pdfAll NM State Finalists Need to sign this and return it to bspradlin@nmchamber.org by midnight on 5/26/25
NCB-NM State Competition Rules.docxNCB-NM State Competition Rules.
All Finalists please read carefully.
2025 Finalist-STUDY GUIDE.pdfLocal & State Finals Study Guide.
All Finalists please study carefully.
NCB-NM State 2025 Code of Conduct.pdfNCB-NM State Privacy Policy.pdfKeith Lee of Albuquerque Represented New Mexico Well in 2024 National Civics Bee
On November 12, 2024, New Mexico 8th grader Keith Lee won 3rd place at the National Civics Bee National Championship in Washington, DC. Keith impressed judges with both his civics knowledge and his presentation on the environmental and social benefits of both personal and community gardening. With this he won $15,000 along with additional prizes and recognition.
Contact Benton Spradlin with the NM Chamber of Commerce bspradlin@nmchamber.org or Julie Ornelas ornelas@aps.edu with the Albuquerque Public Schools for more information.