A middle schooler from Broomfield just turned a question about an 18th-century tax revolt into a six-figure college fund. Peter Daniell, a student at Stargate Charter School, won the 2026 National Civics Bee Championship on Wednesday in Washington, D.C., defeating 51 other competitors from across the country.
Daniell's winning answer identified the Whiskey Rebellion as the correct response to the final question of the night, clinching the title in a championship that tests students on knowledge of the Constitution, civic challenges and American government. As FOX31 Denver reported, the win came with a $100,000 contribution to a 529 education savings plan, money set aside for his future schooling. During the ceremony, Daniell also received the Bill Daniels National Civics Award, the competition's top honor, according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation. The award is named for Colorado cable television pioneer and philanthropist Bill Daniels.
From Broomfield to the National Stage
Daniell's path to the national title began at Stargate Charter School, a public charter school in Adams County serving gifted students, where he represented the school at the 2026 National Civics Bee Colorado State Finals in July. According to the Colorado Chamber of Commerce, he won first place at that state competition before advancing to nationals. The Colorado finals were emceed by 9News anchor Kyle Clark and featured a keynote address from U.S. Rep. Joe Neguse, with sponsor Chevron handing out tablet computers to all 26 middle schoolers who competed at the state level.
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis congratulated Daniell on the national victory, saying the National Civics Bee lets students showcase civics knowledge and encourages young adults to learn how government works, per FOX31 Denver's report. Polis also encouraged students more broadly to get involved and help shape the conversation about the future.
A Nationally Televised Finish, With a Few Hiccups
This year's championship marked a milestone for the competition: the final round was televised and streamed live on C-SPAN for the first time in the tournament's history, hosted by actor Jerry O'Connell, according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation. But the broadcast didn't go off without a snag. South Dakota News Watch reported that the live broadcast ran an hour longer than scheduled after technical issues with contestants' buzzers forced three restarts of the final round and led to a 40-minute stoppage.
When the dust settled, Daniell topped a field that had been narrowed from roughly 20,000 students across 240 communities nationwide down to 52 finalists, according to FOX31 Denver. Second place went to Araoluwakiitan Afolabi of St. Cloud, Florida, who earned $25,000, while Carolyn Taylor of Michigan took third place and $15,000, per South Dakota News Watch. The finalists faced knowledge-of-issues rounds, critical-thinking and problem-solving challenges, quiz rounds, and the tense buzzer round that ultimately decided the championship.
Why the Civics Bee Exists
The National Civics Bee launched in 2023 and expanded to reach all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and American Samoa by 2026, timed to coincide with the nation's 250th anniversary, according to the Daniels Fund. The Denver-based Daniels Fund supports education and civic literacy.
