Keith Lee to D.C. for Civics Bee

RIO RANCHO — Keith Lee is a smart kid.

That’s sort of obvious to those who know him. He’s articulate and sharp with an astounding vocabulary. He’s a spelling bee champion and MATHCOUNTS competitor. He loves cross-country, baseball (Go Astros!), the environment, his parents’ home country of Taiwan, and his hometown of Rio Rancho.

Keith Lee also has an idea; an idea so great it was recognized at the National Civics Bee Nov. 12, where he placed third.

Here it is: What if we could enhance the function of gardens, both private and community, to help decrease the effects of climate change?

“When people reduce their reliance on industrially produced agricultural products, even small changes can contribute to mitigating climate change and improving the living environment,” says seventh grader Keith Lee.

The idea was a hit with judges at the state and regional levels, earning him a spot at nationals.

This week, Lee is headed to Washington, D.C., to compete in the National Civics Bee Championship, the final round in a months-long competition involving more than 8,000 students from 27 states.

“We are very proud of him,” his father Po-Hsuen Lee says. “When he told us he wanted to participate in a competition, we [knew he was choosing] a challenging path. ... We are very happy that his hard work has paid off with good results.”

Organized by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation (USCOCF), the National Civics Bee is an annual competition that “inspires young Americans to engage in civics and contribute to their communities. As they compete for a spot in the championship, middle schoolers in sixth, seventh and eighth grades from across the country showcase their civics knowledge and skills, winning prizes and recognition along the way,” according to the competition website, civics.uschamberfoundation.org.

Participating students submit an essay describing how they would use civics to improve their communities. They then go through two grueling rounds of questioning by judges. The local winners advanced to the state level, which took place in August. The first-place winner in each state heads to Washington, D.C., for the National Civics Bee Championship, which took place Nov. 12.

Lee earned his spot, but it wasn’t an easy road for the tenacious youngster. His first idea was shot down early on.

“Our family immigrated from Taiwan, a country renowned for its highly efficient garbage recycling system, ranked third globally. Keith identified a significant concern in Rio Rancho regarding the inconvenience of recycling old lithium batteries,” says Po-Hsuen Lee. “He proposed an innovative solution to expand recycling points to grocery and convenience stores, funded by federal and state environmental departments.”

Keith was enthusiastic about the idea, but it did not go over well.

“Unfortunately, his proposal was not well-received by the judges in the Rio Rancho district round,” Po-Hsuen Lee recalls.

But Keith Lee wasn’t discouraged. He identified another issue and shifted his focus. He’d learned in previous competitions that, to win, a contestant has to be agile and prepared.

“This year, I only placed third in the state spelling bee because the pronouncer made a mistake, and I didn’t double-check the word’s meaning before spelling what I heard. That failure taught me that even if I’m well-prepared, many factors can affect the outcome of a competition,” Lee says. “I need to objectively understand where I need to improve and make changes.”

He quickly switched focus from batteries to gardening, though he hasn’t given up on the idea.

“I later chose the topic of climate change, and the idea of battery recycling didn’t seem very convincing as a method to address climate change,” Keith Lee says. “But if I have the opportunity in the future, I still hope to speak out about the difficulties of recycling batteries in the U.S.”

His new project, community gardens as weapons against climate change, was a big hit.

“My parents told me that when you want to convey ideas to people, you should start in a way that is easy to understand and participate in,” Lee says. “Since almost every household has a yard or garden, incorporating sustainable and environmentally friendly concepts in planning methods, species selection and garden management can greatly help regulate temperature and purify the air. Expanding from home gardens to community gardens ... can enhance neighborhood interaction and communication through the exchange of agricultural products.”

Lee will be took his concept before a distinguished panel of national judges. Nerves were high, but Lee said he trained to handle that as well.

“Participating in any competition makes me nervous, but I know I need to overcome it,” he says. “I will do my best to prepare and then face it with a calm attitude.”

Before leaving for D.C., his folks weren’t quite so calm, but they focused on all of the positives this experience would provide for Keith.

“We are nervous,” Po-Hsuen said. “We know that everyone who participates in the national competition is excellent. We can only encourage him to prepare ... and participate in the best condition. We believe that after this national competition, he will definitely learn a lot, which will greatly change and improve his vision and idea.”

So, does Keith actually enjoy gardening? After all, it’s difficult for a shovel and soil to compete with MLB The Show and World Series baseball.

“To be honest, I’m not really a green thumb,” he says.

It’s not all bad, though.

“Harvesting crops and enjoying home-grown produce is my favorite [part] of gardening,” he says. “Plus, I’ve always felt that the fruits and vegetables grown and picked at home taste much better.”

To find out more or apply for next year, visit civics.uschamberfoundation.org. Applicaitons for the 2025 National Civics Bee are open now through Feb. 4, 2025.