BASIS Chandler is celebrating a major achievement this week after 10th grade students Srinidhi P. and Neha S. were named the first-place winners in the video competition of the 2025 Ninth Circuit Civics Contest. Their video submission earned the team a $3,000 cash prize and an invitation to the exclusive Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference, where they will be recognized alongside other outstanding students from across the western United States.
What Is the Ninth Circuit Civics Contest?
The annual Ninth Circuit Civics Contest, sponsored by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit’s Public Information and Community Outreach (PICO) Committee, challenges high school and homeschooled students across nine western states and Pacific islands to reflect on the importance of civic engagement.
This year’s theme, “When Duty Calls: Why Exercising the Rights and Responsibilities of Citizenship is Important to Me,” inspired remarkable participation, with 885 essays and 126 videos submitted from students across the region. Only 12 finalists in each category advanced to the highly competitive final round.
The contest, which receives nearly a thousand entries each year, is divided into essay and video categories. Local contests are first held in 15 federal judicial districts; top entries from these then advance to the circuit-wide competition.
Representing BASIS Chandler, Srinidhi and Neha teamed up to create a thought-provoking video about what citizenship means to them, and why it matters for young people to participate in democracy. Their creative and impactful work stood out to judges among dozens of top video submissions from students throughout Alaska, Arizona, California, Nevada, and Washington state.
Watch Srinidhi and Neha’s first place winning video!
As first-place winners, Srinidhi and Neha will split a $3,000 cash prize and have the unique opportunity to attend the 2025 Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference, accompanied by a parent or guardian, to be honored among judicial leaders and peers.
The Ninth Circuit Civics Contest aims to inspire the next generation to value and participate in American democracy. As Ninth Circuit Chief Judge Mary H. Murguia says, “I am deeply encouraged by all the students who participated in this year’s competition and who took the time to reflect on how exercising their rights and responsibilities as citizens is of vital importance to our Democracy. I am also grateful to the family members and teachers who supported them.”
The winning essays and videos for 2025 can be found on the contest website:
www.ca9.uscourts.gov/civicscontest
