Warsaw Student Takes Top Prize
(INDIANAPOLIS) — The Indiana Chamber of Commerce Foundation and the Indiana Department of Education hosted the second annual Indiana Civics Bee on Wednesday at the Indiana Statehouse. The event tested the civics knowledge of Hoosier school students in grades 6 to 8 by participating in live quiz rounds and gave presentations on issues facing their communities in front of a panel of judges.
The event, presented by Kinder Morgan, is part of the National Civics Bee organized in partnership with The Civic Trust® of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation.
Among those participating was Gov. Mike Braun, who addressed the students about the importance of civic engagement and discussed the career trajectory that led him to the Statehouse. He also answered questions from the students and their families about his political activity, hobbies and more.
At the conclusion of the competition, Barrett Hodorek from Kosciusko County was declared the winner of the Indiana Civics Bee. Hodorek, who was representing Lakeview Middle School in Warsaw, advocated in his speech for keeping our lakes clean, why it’s important and laid out his plan for doing so on a broader scale. Hodorek received $1,000 and has the opportunity to represent Indiana in the National Civics Bee in Washington, D.C. on November 10-11.
Olivia Warner, representing Woodside Middle School in Kendallville (Noble County), garnered second place and $500. Meanwhile Taytem Rivera, representing Hibberd Middle School in Richmond (Wayne County), was awarded $250 and third place.
All top three finishers were eighth graders when their Indiana Civics Bee journey began earlier this year with initial contests held in partnership with local chambers across the state. Those events produced the slate of participants who competed for the state title.
The goal of the National Civics Bee is to encourage more young Americans to engage in civics and contribute to their communities. That aim is one the Indiana Chamber shares for Hoosiers, including it in its latest long-range visioning plan for the state, Indiana Prosperity 2035, as noted by the organization’s president and CEO Vanessa Green Sinders in her opening remarks at the state Civics Bee.
She adds, “We’re so proud of the students who took part in the program and made the conscious effort to focus on civics and being involved in their communities. The thoughtful speeches we heard show a real desire to be impactful and service their hometowns and beyond.
“Activities like the Civics Bee afford students, at a pivotal age, opportunities to learn and build skills such as public speaking, problem-solving and collaboration, which will serve them well in their professional and personal lives. We look forward to further increasing student participation in 2026 and have set that as a goal.”
One of the judges for the state Civics Bee was Dr. Katie Jenner, Indiana Secretary of Education.
“When we asked Hoosiers what matters most for every Indiana graduate, multiple characteristics, representing both knowledge and skills were elevated, including the importance of civic literacy,” she says. “Civic literacy includes but goes much beyond taking a U.S. Government course – it includes utilizing what is learned in the classroom to become a positive contributor to one’s community, state and nation.”
She adds, “We have proactively increased civics education in Indiana by implementing a civics course in sixth grade, emphasizing civic literacy as a skill of an Indiana Graduate Prepared to Succeed, as well as providing students increased opportunities to engage in service-based learning or take part in high-quality civic literacy programs. I was so impressed with the middle school students who participated in our state’s Civics Bee and will be cheering Barrett on as he represents Indiana in the national competition.”
The Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site, Eli Lilly and Company, the Indiana Bar Foundation and Kroger Gardis & Regas, LLP were additional sponsors of the Indiana Civics Bee.
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The Indiana Chamber partners with 25,000 members and investors – representing over four million Hoosiers – to achieve the mission of “cultivating a world-class environment which provides economic opportunity and prosperity.”
