Two Naperville sisters and a Plainfield student are heading to the state finals for a citizenship competition called the National Civics Bee.
Naperville middle schoolers Astha and Reva Savalia and Plainfield middle schooler Aisha Chavda are advancing to the state contest, set for July 31 in Springfield, after placing first, third and second, respectively, at a regional competition in Romeoville.
Civics Bee builds knowledge about democracy
The civics competition challenges students in sixth through eighth grades to “gain knowledge about American democracy, practice engaging respectfully and constructively, and build trust in others and institutions,” according to the National Civics Bee website.
Students study for multiple-choice questions, prepare short speeches about a local issue of their choice, “strengthen their civics, writing and public speaking skills, and form friendships with other young leaders along the way,” the contest description reads.
The elder of Naperville’s Savalia sisters, Astha, competed in the Civics Bee last year but didn’t advance, said her mother Antara Prasad. So this year — with her sister, Reva, also eligible as a sixth-grader — the duo studied together.
“It made the process more fun for them,” Prasad said.
Photo courtesy: Joliet Regional Chamber of Commerce (l to r – Jen Howard, president of the Joliet Region Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Aisha Chavda, Astha Savalia, Reva Savalia, Kip Kline, vice president of university advancement at Lewis University)
Local issue speeches about energy, data centers
The Savalia sisters attend Kennedy Junior High in Naperville School District 203, and each developed her speech about a topic of recent interest to the Naperville City Council. Astha chose the topic of coal use for energy.
“She’s been pretty interested and involved in trying to raise awareness about that for the last couple of years,” her mother said, even speaking before council to share her thoughts.
Reva chose another hot-button issue, which her mother describes as, “the pressure to build more data centers in and around Naperville.”
The Naperville-area regional winners could get the chance to give their speeches again. If any of them advance to the top 5 at state after two rounds of quiz questions, she will give a three-minute version of her speech, then answer questions from judges.
“It’s a really interesting contest,” Prasad said. “The kids have learned a lot.”
Preparing for the next round
With the state Civics Bee coming up, Astha and Reva are reviewing “some of the questions that were difficult at the regionals,” Astha said, and reveling in the knowledge they gain.
“Learning about the past in American history helps me better understand the present,” Astha said. “When I heard the 14th Amendment, War Powers Act and the Voting Rights Act mentioned on the news, I realized I knew a lot more about them than my friends did, because of my preparation for the Civics Bee.”
Topics covered include America’s founding documents — such as the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights — key writers from the nation’s founding era, current civic responsibilities and ways to be more engaged in civic society.
“The questions are pretty tough,” Prasad said.
Plainfield contestant Aisha has competed at state before, even advancing to Nationals last year and garnering attention from the “Today” show, among others, for her speech about a six-step plan to combat cyberbullying.
Astha called it “surreal” to be heading to state after plenty of weekends spent studying with her sister. Both have high hopes for the next round.
“I am glad all the long study sessions paid off,” Reva said. “I really hope that one of us makes it to nationals.”
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