This story originally appeared in The Centre County Gazette.
Twenty-four of Pennsylvania’s top middle school students gathered at Penn State University’s HUB-Robeson Center on Friday, June 13, for the 2025 Pennsylvania State Finals of the National Civics Bee and a Centre County student rose to the top.
Cooper Palma, an eighth grader at Mount Nittany Middle School in the State College Area School District, earned second place in the statewide competition. Palma advanced to the finals after placing first in the Centre County local round in April, where he presented an essay on community solutions to light pollution.
At the state finals, Palma competed through two rigorous rounds of testing civics and American history knowledge. He then moved on to the essay presentation round as one of five finalists.
Palma delivered a detailed and engaging summary of his original essay, outlining the local and ecological impacts of light pollution in Centre County and offering solutions to reduce excess artificial lighting. His work earned him the runner-up prize of $750 and strong praise from judges and attendees.
First place went to Millicent Godoy of Hershey Middle School, who won $1,000 and will represent Pennsylvania at the National Civics Bee in Washington, D.C. later this year. Third place was awarded to Mihir Pilgaonkar, who received $500.
Two other Centre County students, Elliott Man and Liam Foytack, were also among the 24 state finalists.
The event was hosted by the Pennsylvania Chamber Foundation in partnership with the U.S. Chamber Foundation and eight regional chambers of commerce, including the Chamber of Business and Industry of Centre County (CBICC). Leon Smith, the 2025 Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year, served as emcee.
Co-chaired by Pennsylvania Lt. Governor Austin Davis and PA Chamber of Business and Industry President and CEO Luke Bernstein, the competition highlighted the importance of civics education.
“We need to raise generations of young people who understand how our government works and are committed to using that knowledge to make a difference,” Davis said. “Today’s student competitors demonstrated these qualities in droves.”
Bernstein echoed that sentiment, calling the bee “more than a competition — it’s a movement to reawaken civic pride and engagement.”
“These students are proof that our nation’s future is in capable hands,” He added.
The competition’s essay round challenged students to propose innovative ways to address issues in their communities through civic action. Judges scored the presentations based on originality, feasibility and civic impact.
Organizers also recognized the important role of educators and families in preparing students for the event. The Pennsylvania School Boards Association served as the presenting sponsor, with support from PSECU, Kinder Morgan, Intrada Technologies, Sheetz and PHEAA.
For more information about the National Civics Bee, visit civics.uschamberfoundation.org
