Noah Finkler, a Destin Middle School student who won the area’s inaugural National Civics Bee in March, has claimed the state championship title.
- Finkler won the National Civics Bee Florida State Finals May 31 at Florida State University in Tallahassee, according to a Facebook post from Destin Middle School announcing him as the new state champion.
As the state champion, Finkler will receive a trip to Washington, D.C., to compete in the National Civics Bee national championship in fall 2025.
The road to victory began when Finkler took first place at the Greater Fort Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce’s competition March 11. The local event marked Florida’s first National Civics Bee, featuring middle school students from across Okaloosa County.
- At the local competition, Finkler won $500 and a trophy while earning the right to advance to the state finals alongside two other students from Northwest Florida Ballet Academie.
“We are so grateful to the U.S. Chamber for creating this concept,” Ted Corcoran, president and CEO of the Fort Walton Beach Chamber, said after the local competition. “We were honored to be the first Chamber of Commerce in Florida to participate.”
