Tuesday Apr 18, 2023
April 18, 2023 | 6:00 - 7:00 pm Revive Church at The Bridge, 8270 W 80th Ave, Arvada, CO FREE
Kami Welch The Arvada Chamber of Commerce is thrilled to be hosting the 2023 National Civics Bee competition in Arvada. This is one of many pilot National Civics Bee competitions promoted by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation..png)
National Civics Bee
Date and Time
6:00 PM - 7:00 PM MDT
Location
Fees/Admission
Contact Information
Send Email
Description
The National Civics Bee is an annual competition that encourages young Americans to engage in civics and contribute to their communities. Participating middle school students will flex their civics knowledge for a chance to win recognition and cash prizes. The National Civics Bee takes place in partnership with local and state chambers of commerce across the United States, including the Arvada Chamber of Commerce.
Nine local middle schoolers have been selected by a panel of community-based judges to compete in a live competition at Revive Church, testing their civics knowledge. The winners (and their schools) will be recognized in their communities and receive cash prizes, the top three students will also proceed to the state competition!
Judges
A Dothan, Alabama native, Jansen graduated from Auburn University with a Master of Public Administration. Starting his career in the private sector, he has a background in both construction, retail, hospitality, and local media. In 2011 he joined the Dothan Downtown Redevelopment Authority as the Executive Director. In 2017, Jansen took the helm of the newly formed Spartanburg Downtown Development Partnership. In December 2018, Jansen’s role was expanded as Executive Vice President of Corporate and Urban Development for the Economic Futures Group. He proudly joined the Jeffco EDC in May 2020, ushering in the 65th year for Colorado’s oldest economic development organization. On January 1. 2022 – the Jeffco EDC board ushered in a new era with the addition of the West Metro Chamber and Leadership Jeffco to their organizational umbrella.
Dr. Danielle Varda is an associate professor at University of Colorado Denver School of Public Affairs, with a secondary appointment in the Colorado School of Public Health, Department of Health Systems, Management and Policy. She also has a courtesy associate professor appointment in the School of Information Sciences at University of Colorado Boulder. She is co-director of the Center on Network Science, director of the Nonprofit Concentration in the MPA program, and the advisor for the Dual MPA-MPH Degree program. She is the owner/operator of The Arvada Community Room, and the CEO and Founder of Visible Network Labs, a data science startup company that has built the first social connectedness platform that supports the health and well-being of communities and the people who live in them. Dr. Varda also serves as a Jefferson County School Board Director, representing the North Arvada/Westminster areas.
Andy and his wife both grew up in Jefferson County and are JeffCo Schools graduates, Andy from Green Mountain and his wife from Arvada. Their 3 kids have all attended JeffCo Schools, and Andy taught social studies for over 20 years at Dunstan Middle and JeffCo Virtual Academy, as well as writing curriculum for the District. After serving in both the Colorado House of Representatives and Senate for 12 years, Andy was elected to serve as Jefferson County Commissioner in 2020. Andy enjoys the Colorado outdoors with his family, hiking, biking, snowboarding and fostering rescue dogs.
Marc Williams has been an elected official in Arvada since 1999, and was elected Mayor in 2011. He will complete his final term in November. He is a retired attorney, married with four children and eight grandchildren. 
Jansen Tidmore, President | CEO, Jeffco EDC
Danielle Varda, CEO, Visible Network Labs
Andy Kerr, Jefferson County Commissioner, JeffCo Board of County Commissioners
Marc Williams, Mayor City of Arvada
