Indiana geography buffs will compete in second round of National Geographic Bee at IUPUI

  • April 3, 2013

INDIANAPOLIS – Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis will again host the Indiana state-level competition of the National Geographic Bee.

On Friday, April 5, young geography buffs across the United States and U.S. territories will participate in state-level Geographic Bees, competing for a spot in the 25th annual National Geographic Bee in Washington, D.C., in May.

The Indiana Geographic Bee will take place on the IUPUI campus at Lecture Hall, 325 University Blvd. Preliminary rounds begin at noon. The final round, open to the public, begins at 2:15 p.m.

The state winner will receive $100, “The Complete National Geographic” on DVD and an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C., for the national finals May 20 to 22 and the chance to be crowned the National Geographic Bee champion.

First prize in the national competition is a $25,000 college scholarship and lifetime membership in the National Geographic Society. Second- and third-place finishers receive $15,000 and $10,000 college scholarships, respectively. Additionally, the national winner will travel (with one parent or guardian), all expenses paid, to the Galápagos Islands for an expedition featuring up-close encounters with the wildlife and landscapes of the islands.

Organized by the National Geographic Society, the 2013 National Geographic Bee is sponsored by Google and Plum Creek. At the state level, the bee is also sponsored by the Lilly Endowment, IndianaView and the Indiana Geographic Information Officer.

The state bees are the second round of competition that began in November with contests in nearly 11,000 U.S. schools, in which millions of students participated.

The Indiana Geographic Bee is organized by the Geography Educators’ Network of Indiana, based at IUPUI. A complete listing of the 100 fourth- to eighth-grade Indiana Geographic Bee contestants is available online, along with other related news. 

This year marks the 125th anniversary of the National Geographic Society and the 25th anniversary of the Geographic Bee.

“As we look to the future -- and an exciting new age of exploration -- our work of fostering young talent who will be the scientists, explorers and brightest minds of tomorrow is more important than ever,”  John Fahey, National Geographic Society chairman and CEO, said in a press release. “Through the National Geographic Bee and our other activities, we hope to encourage a lifelong passion for learning about the world and its many wonders, challenges and opportunities for exploration and discovery.”

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