Washington state Civics Bee finalists pitch solutions on digital divide, gun safety, homelessness; Ileani Gonzalez wins

Olympia — Student finalists at the Washington state finals of the National Civics Bee on stage Saturday delivered focused three-minute pitches proposing community and policy responses to problems ranging from the digital divide to gun violence. The event was moderated by Washington Lt. Gov. Denny Heck and concluded with Ileani Gonzalez of Washington Virtual Academy named first-place winner.

Ileani Gonzalez, a finalist from Washington Virtual Academy, argued that unrestricted access to military-grade weapons has made schools less safe and called for a three-step approach emphasizing education, community outreach to leaders and limits on large-capacity magazines. "The Second Amendment should be a shield, never a sword," Gonzalez said, and endorsed anonymous reporting tools such as the Say Something system to give students a way to report threats.

Benjamin Wu of Curtis Junior High focused on unequal access to computer science courses, describing how his school launched a club and worked with the state Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction and a community college. "Computer science education is now key to thriving in our digital world," Wu said, explaining the club’s plans for volunteer-led Q&A sessions and a shared curriculum to expand access in lower-resource districts.

Elliot Bush of John Sedgwick Middle School highlighted homelessness in Kitsap County, saying local rents "have risen from $879 to $1,765" over a decade and urging adoption of a Homeless Bill of Rights, which he said has passed in three states. Bush framed donations and local volunteer efforts as immediate steps while acknowledging political resistance in some communities.

Athena Strickler of Garrison Middle School focused on falling voter participation and urged more robust civics instruction, including media literacy and practical lessons on voter registration for high-school seniors. "We should have civics classes go more in-depth," Strickler said, arguing schools and community organizations can help prepare first-time voters.

Vera Kamen, representing Ellensburg Christian School, proposed creating foster-care facilities and mobilizing county, state and nonprofit funding with partners such as HopeSource to recruit and support foster parents and provide transitional housing and volunteer support for children.

Judges questioned finalists on feasibility and scaling. On resources, Gonzalez said she would collaborate with established advocacy organizations and integrate violence-awareness education into school curricula; Wu described conversations with school boards and principals that led to his club’s approval; Kamen said she would seek county and nonprofit funding partnerships.

Moderator Denny Heck and event organizers recognized the students with trophies and prizes; third place received a $250 award. Judges and audience members praised the finalists’ engagement with civic problems and emphasized that the event aimed to build long-term participation in local and state civic life. The competition format included two quiz rounds followed by the final round of three-minute civic pitches and judge Q&A.

Organizers named the AWB Institute, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, the Civic Trust, the Civic Learning Council, BECU and Delta Air Lines as partners for the Washington state finals. The event closed with photos and brief finalist remarks about continuing civic work.