Public transit, gun violence, the environment, homelessness, and equal rights — these were top issues for five middle schoolers who made the final round of the statewide civics and leadership competition known as the Georgia State Finals of the National Civics Bee on Friday.
Kaden Jawwaad, 13, who attends Bennett’s Mill Middle School in Fayetteville, won the Civics Bee state championship, held at the Carter Center. He bested 23 other final-round competitors from across the state with his proposal to expand public transit usage. Jawwaad will represent Georgia at the National Civic Bee held in Washington D.C. on November 10 and 11.
Organized by the Georgia Chamber of Commerce, the contest asked students to submit an essay proposing a solution to a civic challenge. The final-round competitors pitched their proposals to a panel of judges that included State Rep. Sonya Halpern (D-Atlanta) and State Rep. Houston Gaines (R-Athens).
Atlanta Civic Circle caught up with all five finalists, including Jawwaad.
First place: Kaden Jawwaad
Age: 13
School: Rising 8th grader at Bennett’s Mill Middle School in Fayetteville.
Civic role models: Kamala Harris and Barack Obama
Jawaad’s winning proposal was to address the lack of public transportation in his Fayetteville community. He proposed harnessing social media to gain local support for buses and rail, and then apply public pressure on policy-makers through rallies and petitions. He said he would seek institutional support from the American Public Transportation Association and guidance from the Federal Transit Administration.
“When we all ride in our individual cars, it produces a lot of CO2, which raises carbon emissions and [worsens] global warming,” he said, adding that more public transit usage would also reduce traffic congestion.
Asked by the judges how he would overcome safety concerns — a common argument against public transit — Jaden said failing to protect the environment is more dangerous. “If we can’t maintain [the environment], it’ll be ruined, and it’ll be dangerous for us.”
Second place: Jackson Coleman
Age: 14
School: Rising 9th grader at Newnan High School, after graduating from Smokey Road Middle School in Newnan.
Civic role model: Franklin Delano Roosevelt, “because he led our nation out of a dark time.”
Coleman proposed promoting personal responsibility to protect the environment and reduce littering. He told Atlanta Civic Circle that he was inspired by his love for fishing on the Chattahoochee River in Coweta County.
“There must be a culture change,” he said. “Many drop trash and believe that someone else will get it for them. You need to open their eyes to the fact that they are the only ones responsible for their actions,” he said.
He said local community groups like the Chattahoochee River Keepers are a model for environmental protection. Asked by judges where there was a role for law enforcement, Coleman suggested using video surveillance paired with AI technology to create a database and track people’s actions. ”You could go in, see their information, and mail them a fine” he said.
Third place: Vivienne Kim
Age: 14
School: Rising 9th grader at Lakeside High School outside of Augusta, after graduating from Stallings Island Middle School.
Civic role model: Michelle Obama
Kim, an aspiring lawyer, hopes to practice law one day, and proposed encouraging civic organizations and clubs that celebrate diverse cultural and ethnic identities.
“All individuals have the same claims as human beings to natural rights and [equal] treatment under the law,” she said. “Thinking more, rather than stereotyping people, can bridge the gap in our communities.”
“To ensure a bond with communities, we must strengthen connections among our fellow people,” Kim said, pointing to the National Beta Club, which she leads at her school, as an example.
Finalist: Laqueet Shaik
Age: 14
School: Rising 9th grader at River Ridge High School, after graduating from Mill Creek Middle School in Cherokee County.
Civic role models: Mom, Dad, and George Washington
The Apalachee High School shooting last fall moved Shaik to propose solutions for gun violence focused on mental health and community engagement, pointing to the 2022 Safer Communities Act as a starting point.
Shaik believes it is important to address “social stressors,” citing them the universal indicator for school shootings, according to the U.S. Secret Service. “It can mentally make it so students won’t have any causes or need to actually use guns in the wrong way,” he said.
Finalist : Keely Slaymaker
Age: 14
School: Rising 9th grader at Lakeside High School outside of Augusta after graduating from Riverside Middle School.
Civic role model: “There are too many to choose from.”
Protecting “equal rights for all races and orientations and genders” is Slaymaker’s top concern. ”There was a time when they were close together, but now they’re growing apart,” she said.
Her pitch proposed ameliorating homelessness by supporting food banks and pressuring local officials not to install hostile urban architecture that prevents people from resting, like spikes on ledges or handrails down the middle of benches.
Slaymaker said laws criminalizing homelessness are unjust. “We need to be able to resist those laws. Many police target homeless people, even if they’re not doing any bad things, for things such as loitering,” she said.
