C-SPAN will provide live television and streaming coverage of the 2026 National Civics Bee Championship next week, marking the first time the annual competition will be carried nationally by the public affairs network.
The event, organized by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, will take place Wednesday, October 14 at 8 p.m. Eastern Time in Washington, D.C., with Emmy-nominated actor and television personality Jerry O’Connell serving as host.
Coverage will be available on C-SPAN, with simultaneous livestreams offered through C-SPAN.org and YouTube. Cable and satellite subscribers who have at least one C-SPAN channel in their package can watch the network’s 24-hour feed online and through its smartphone apps with authentication; YouTube TV and Hulu with Live TV subscribers have the same perk.
The championship will feature 52 middle school students representing all 50 states, Washington, D.C. and American Samoa, who will compete for a national title and a $100,000 education savings plan.
The event marks the conclusion of a nationwide competition that attracted more than 20,000 students from 240 communities this year. Participants advanced through local and state competitions organized in partnership with chambers of commerce throughout the country.
The championship will test students’ knowledge of American government, the Constitution and civic issues through several competitive rounds. Those rounds will include team presentations, multiple-choice questions, head-to-head challenges, interviews and a final buzzer competition. The winner will receive the Bill Daniels National Civics Award and a $100,000 contribution to a 529 education savings plan.
The competition also encourages students to examine civic challenges affecting their communities, including youth mental health, food insecurity, affordable housing, wildfire preparedness and financial education.
“Civics comes alive when young people understand not only how our democracy works, but how they can take part in it,” Sam Feist, the CEO of C-SPAN, said in a statement.
Feist said the 52 finalists had earned their places in the national championship through competitions held in communities across the country.
Michael Carney, the President of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, said the competition highlights the relationship between civic education, democratic participation and economic development.
“Civics is the operating system for the 21st century. Democracy and the economy both run on it. These kids already understand that. Watch the broadcast and you will too,” Carney said.
The championship comes during the 250th anniversary of the United States, providing an opportunity to highlight civic education among younger Americans.
The National Civics Bee launched in 2023 and has expanded through partnerships with chambers of commerce, educational institutions and community organizations. Last year’s competition was won by Aarit Koul, a student from Jackson Township, Ohio, who became the event’s second national champion.
C-SPAN is a non-profit, public service network covering political affairs from Washington, D.C. The network operates a cable multiplex, online news and video portal and smart device apps. C-SPAN is funded by a consortium of cable networks, including Comcast’s Xfinity, DIRECTV, Dish Network, Charter’s Spectrum, Optimum and Mediacom; on streaming, C-SPAN is carried on DIRECTV, YouTube TV and Hulu with Live TV.
