Eau Claire middle schooler is state’s queen Civics Bee

Lori Kaye Lodes

Contributor

July 22, 2024

EAU CLAIRE – Civics has joined theater, music theory, piano and jazz camp as some of 13-year-old Rya Mousavi’s interests, and she’s become quite well-versed in it.

So much so that the Eau Claire middle schooler will represent Wisconsin in the inaugural National Civics Bee® national championship in Washington, D.C., in November.
The prizes on the line are worth $50,000, not to mention the winner will have bragging rights as the National Civics Bee champion.

Buzzing with excitement 

Mousavi said she began the competitive journey by participating in the regional Civics Bee competition in April – which was organized by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, hosted by the Greater Wausau Chamber of Commerce and offered in partnership with Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce (WMC).

In addition to the Wausau regional Civics Bee event, the Fox Cities Chamber of Commerce and Racine Area Manufacturers and Commerce hosted regional bees – all of which showcased the civics knowledge of sixth-, seventh- and eighth-grader participants.

The four regional sites’ top performers – including Mousavi – advanced to the state competition in June where contestants tested their civic knowledge and presented portions of their submitted essays.

The essays were required to include an outline of civic principles of systems that could help solve a problem, as well as note sources, such as the Declaration of Independence or the U.S. Constitution, that provided supporting evidence or examples of their idea or recommendation.

Finally, essays needed to recommend how community members or neighborhoods could bring the ideas or recommendations to life.

Mousavi said her essay focused on the need to restructure the educational system, a topic she said is relevant because of how much time she and her peers spend in school.

She said she appreciates all her school subjects and believes classes are taught well, but sees an opportunity to change class structuring.

“I care about how we spend our time at school, as I think we should get the most out of that time,” she said. “I think that means focusing on the diverse needs of all students. It’s hard for teachers to work one-on-one with students – especially in middle and high school… What makes everyone unique is overlooked sometimes, and our structure is not the most helpful, efficient and effective way to teach.”

Mousavi said her essay outlined ideas for restructuring the school setting by teaching students of the same grade or age groups in smaller groups.

“Teachers could keep students engaged and on task because (teaching) would be at the level where it’s challenging but not too difficult,” she said. “It would help everyone grow as learners.”

Mousavi said her seventh-grade curriculum’s focus on psychology, sociology, political science and economics resonated with her – and made for a great baseline for her civics competitions.

“Social studies this year was right (up) my alley,” she said.

Mousavi said she learned about the regional competition from a DeLong Middle School teacher who shared a copy of the Civics Bee poster from the Eau Claire Area Chamber of Commerce with her.

Tina Probst, director of workforce and emerging talent at the Eau Claire Chamber of Commerce, said the Eau Claire area regional event was moved to Wausau and hosted by the Greater Wausau Chamber of Commerce late due to Eau Claire’s need to focus on an imminent regional issue.

Mousavi said the cash prizes advertised on the poster appealed to her, but the opportunity to write about a topic she was impassioned about intrigued her more.

Though she sketched out the essay outline months in advance, Mousavi said she didn’t start writing it until the deadline was looming.

“It’s difficult for me to sit down and work on something,” she said. “It was challenging, but I learned from it. My mom (wondered) how I was going to get it done, and I was like, ‘well, this is a personal challenge.’ On the night of the deadline, I worked for four or five hours. I’d say that’s a new record for me.”

Prepping for the competition, Mousavi said, also included studying.

The day before the regional competition, she said she and friends also participating in the Civics Bee stayed home to study supplied materials – using the Khan Academy app to study citizenship and U.S. history.

Mousavi said it wasn’t long before she was immersed in court decisions and precedents set by many of them – whether Brown vs. the Board of Education, cases related to the Civil Rights movement or the abolition of slavery.

The way some decisions were overturned – even at the U.S. Supreme Court level – Mousavi said, interested her.

“Court cases are an interesting way to look at how public opinion, the law and politics have changed over time and how all of it interacts with social issues,” she said. 

The Civics Bees involved several rounds of multiple choice questions, essay presentations and Q&A with the judges.

At the state level, Mousavi said she shared the stage with seven other finalists from area chambers.

“It was challenging, especially when we didn’t know what questions the judges were going to ask,” she said. 

Mousavi said she relied on her theater training to keep a steady stage presence – though she admits it was “nerve-wracking” to be judged on presentation.
“The judges were nice, though, and encouraging, too,” she said. “After everyone presented, they gave us feedback, which was great.”

Mousavi said she hopes to use some of the regional and state winnings to attend Jazz Camp at Shell Lake again next year.

She said she has played piano for almost nine years and participates in the jazz band and jazz improv club at school but wanted to improve her jazz skills and have fun.

“I thought jazz camp would be a great opportunity, and it was a good experience overall,” she said. “We had great faculty and teachers who are experienced and knowledgeable, and it was fun to be with other students interested in jazz as well.”

Mousavi said she also participates in school plays, takes lessons, participates in productions at the Chippewa Valley Theater Guild and has dabbled in stage work (lighting and props).

She said she enjoys learning how everything comes together for a theater production.

Mousavi said she credits her inquisitive nature and love of experiential learning with driving her forward with the Civics Bee.

Regardless of how she ranks at the national level, she said it’s been a rewarding experience.

“It’s been a reinforcement of what I’ve been taught,” she said. “A lot of my early investment and engagement in civics began when my parents watched the news or talked about something related to politics. I would always ask them: ‘what’s going on, and can you tell me, too?’ That’s what started my interest in the world in terms of civics.”

Through the Civics Bee process, Mousavi said she’s learned about civics, government and history – “and that’s good knowledge to have.”

“I’ve had a lot of fun with it,” she said. “It was exciting to be in a competition where you’re invested in what’s going on. Most of all, I get to advocate for a topic I care about. It’s been a great opportunity to represent a shared feeling by many of my friends and peers about something that plays a big part in our lives.”

Though she still thinks she will pursue a career in teaching, as she has always wanted to be a teacher, Mousavi said the Civics Bee has her considering politics as a potential career.

Regardless of which path she chooses, she said she knows civics will always have a place in her future.

“If I become a teacher or pursue a different career, I know I can still participate in local government or serve on the school board,” she said.

Chamber perspective

When the Eau Claire Chamber of Commerce was approached to be one of the local and state chambers of commerce to participate in the Civics Bee by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Probst said it was an easy “yes.”

“It was a great partnership with the educational systems we already work with and (an opportunity) to highlight high-quality representatives from our region,” she said. “It shows the great work the school systems are doing in teaching civics and encouraging students to use their voices at a young age.”

Probst said she considers activities, such as the Civics Bee, instrumental to retaining talent in the area.

“These kids are our future, and if we want them to carry us through the next few decades, we need to ensure they understand civic knowledge and feel like they can approach issues to make change,” she said.

Promoting the Civics Bee with its educational partners, David Minor – president/CEO at the Eau Claire Area Chamber of Commerce – said, delivered a multitude of benefits, including and extending beyond the chamber’s advocacy and workforce initiatives.

“The program allowed us to work with middle school students and help them understand the chamber of commerce and our role here in Eau Claire,” he said.

Advocacy in action is something Probst said she has come to appreciate since she joined the Eau Claire Area Chamber of Commerce about six months ago.

That, she said, included witnessing the Chippewa Valley Rally – through which members and staff of the Eau Claire Chamber of Commerce, Menomonie Chamber and Eau Claire Chamber go to Madison once a year to talk to legislators about issues affecting their communities.

The recent groundbreaking of the new science building on the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire campus, Probst said, is a key outgrowth of advocacy and civics in action.

“That’s one of the biggest things we’ve been advocating for the past few years,” she said. “It’s neat to see what intentional outreach to legislators looks like and how our community benefits.”

Kurt R. Bauer, WMC president/CEO, said the regional, state and national Civics Bees are opportunities to instill a passion for civic engagement with another generation. 

“Congratulations to Rya and all of the other finalists for making Wisconsin history,” he said. “We’re thrilled to partner with other chambers to build enthusiasm for civic engagement and United States history through this competition.”

The inaugural National Civics Bee is set for Tuesday, Nov. 12, in Washington, D.C.

For more, visit civics.uschamberfoundation.org.