On Friday, Nov.15,, our school held the National Geo Bee for sixth, seventh, and eighth grade.

Seventy-five student’s competed to go to the state level, but only one could advance. That one was Trevor Allen (8), who will go to state on March 20.

Winners

Allen won the path to state in a tie-breaker round with Andrew Bearse (7) coming in a close second place. Kritanko Chakraborty (6) took third. There was a prize for the top 3: Trevor Allen received a $50 Barnes and Noble Gift Card and the second and third place finishers got $10 ones as well.

We had some excellent scores this year. In fact, 15 students had perfect scores in the first round, which consisted of 7 questions per student competing.

Prize

It’s good that our students did so well because there’s a serious prize on the line. The State Championship students go to Washington, DC. The competition is aired on the National Geographic Channel, and best of all, a $50,000 college scholarship and a lifetime membership in the National Geographic Society. Don’t forget the free National Geographic Expedition is also included.

I’ll explain what those mean. National Geographic says that a National Geographic Expeditions “combine spectacular places, physical challenge, and cultural integration.” These trips to exotic places abroad can cost from $4,500 up to $12,500. Wow. As for the National Geographic Society, being a member means you’re part of one of the largest non-profit scientific and educational organizations in the world, with 27 percent of National Geographic dollars to back it up. They fund tons of research projects every year, as well as promoting education on wildlife. Does that mean that a bunch of kids will be running around making research decisions? That’s a little scary. Maybe there’s an age that you have to be to have a vote? It’s hard to find much info about what being in the Society means.

So look out for the competition next year! With small prizes here and big ones at state, who knows? Maybe you’ll get motivated enough to try to get in next year.