Students from 18 teams across the state will compete at this year’s Wisconsin Civics Games state finals for an opportunity to win bragging rights and a $2,000 scholarship to a Wisconsin college or university of their choice. The event, on May 10 at the Capitol in Madison, is presented by the Wisconsin Newspaper Association Foundation.
Forty-five teams from 23 schools across Wisconsin participated today and Thursday in preliminary competitions that determined which teams would advance to the state finals.
During the six virtual contests, teams faced off in head-to-head matchups, answering questions about the state budget, local elections, legislative term limits, quorums and other civics-related issues. Public officials, legal professionals, and newspaper editors and publishers served as judges for the Games.
The top three scoring teams from each region advanced. They are:
- Beloit Turner High School (2 teams)
- Cedarburg High School
- Denmark High School
- Grafton High School
- Green Bay Preble
- Lomira High School
- Mineral Point High School
- Platteville High School
- School District of New London
- School District of Waupaca
- Seymour Community High School
- Slinger High School
- Waunakee High School (2 teams)
- West Bend West High School (2 teams)
- Xavier High School
The state finals are open to the public, and media outlets are encouraged to attend. Welcoming remarks will begin at 9 a.m. in Room 411 South. The Games, which will be broadcast on WisconsinEye, are expected to conclude at approximately 3:30 p.m.
The WNA Foundation launched the Wisconsin Civics Games in 2018 in response to declining civics education and participation. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Civics Games took a hiatus in 2020 and 2021, during which time the WNA Foundation launched an editorial writing and cartoon competition, which continue to cultivate an understanding among young adults of their role in our democracy.
Scholarships are funded in part by the generous support of the Universities of Wisconsin.
Additional support for the Wisconsin Civics Games has been provided by the Evjue Foundation, Wisconsin Counties Association, League of Wisconsin Municipalities, Wisconsin Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, League of Women Voters of Wisconsin, WisconsinEye, Wisconsin Senate Scholars Program, News Tracker and Godfrey & Kahn.
