Bloomington 7th grade students compete in 2025 Civics Bee
Left to right: Ewan McDonald, Mayor Tim Busse, Aili Aulwes, Parker Anderson, Caleb Lea, Adam Hired, Omar Hired, William Cantalano, Samantha Palomino Barrios, and Emmeline Gardner (not pictured)
Bloomington Public Schools seventh grade students competed in the annual City-Wide Civics Bee, held Feb. 4 in the Bloomington city council chambers.
The top three finishers were Ewan McDonald (Oak Grove), Caleb Lea (Valley View), and Parker Anderson (Oak Grove).
To qualify for the event, seventh graders took a qualifying exam and were invited to participate in a Civics Bee at their respective schools based on the results. Finalists from each school competed in the City-Wide Civics Bee, where Mayor Tim Busse quizzed them with several rounds of civics-related questions.
Other participants included Aili Aulwes (Oak Grove); William Catalano, Adam Hired, and Omar Hired (Olson); and Emmeline Gardner and Samantha Palomino Barrios (Valley View).
BPS partners with the League of Women Voters Bloomington and the city to organize the event to foster civic engagement among students.