Students from all over Berrien County will be competing for scholarships this weekend at an event held at the Boys and Girls Clubs of Southwest Michigan Teen Center in Benton Harbor.

The gathering of the Berrien County Civic Leadership Scholarship is being organized by Berrien Forward and Berrien Connection to test the civics knowledge of young people through an oral exam. Berrien Forward Director Chokwe Pitchford tells us one student will receive a $2,000 scholarship, while three others will be awarded $500.

“We’re going to be asking questions about the founding fathers, the amendments, the application of some of those amendments today,” Pitchford said. “And we’re not judging the students on their political ideology of how they feel about the amendments. We’re asking them about the brass tacks of what do those amendments stand for, but also giving them the ability to expand and expound on their unique experiences and knowledge when it comes to American government and civics.”

Pitchford says the competition is about more than winning. It’s about creating space for young people to lead, think critically, and engage with the issues that shape their communities.

“We know that civics education is not as strong in school as it used to be, and we’re trying to foster and bring back that love of country, that love of Constitution, while also saying that your unique lived experiences as a member in our community should be valued and should be put on the forefront. So we really want to hear from these students.”

The event at the teen center will run from 1 to 5 p.m. on Sunday and will be open to the public.

Everyone’s invited to come and see students from St. Joseph, Buchanan, Lakeshore, New Buffalo, Benton Harbor, Bridgman, and Brandywine think on their feet.