Aisha Chavda won the Illinois Civics Bee last year. Now the seventh-grader from Timber Ridge Middle School is heading back to regionals on April 28 — this time as a defending champion.

Chavda will compete alongside 10 other Plainfield Community School District 202 students at the regional Civics Bee, held at Lewis University in Romeoville.

The event draws 20 competitors from five school districts — Naperville, Plainfield, Bolingbrook, Channahon, and Laraway — all vying for a spot at the state competition.

Last year’s win sent Chavda to nationals in Washington, D.C., where she competed against the best civics students in the country.

The experience shaped how she approaches this year’s competition.

The regional competition features two rounds of civics-based quiz questions, followed by a Q&A round where finalists present and discuss ideas for community improvement. Competitors were selected based on written personal essays that identified issues in their communities and proposed thoughtful solutions.

The event begins at 4 p.m. on April 28 in the St. Charles Borromeo Convocation Hall at Lewis University, 101 W. Airport Road, Romeoville. The competition is open to the public.

District 202 competitors:

• Aisha Chavda, 7th grade, Timber Ridge Middle School

• Ava Dreger, 7th grade, Indian Trail Middle School

• Kaleigh Hebenstreit, 7th grade, Indian Trail Middle School

• Cindy Jargalsaikhan, 8th grade, John F. Kennedy Middle School

• Varun Kandimalla, 8th grade, John F. Kennedy Middle School

• Sarvik Narwade, 7th grade, Heritage Grove Middle School

• Arjan Saluja, 6th grade, John F. Kennedy Middle School

• Binay Saluja, 8th grade, John F. Kennedy Middle School

• Cecilia Stevens, 7th grade, Aux Sable Middle School

• Drake Tucker, 7th grade, Timber Ridge Middle School

• Virat Verma, 7th grade, Heritage Grove Middle School