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<p>IUPUI to host geography whiz kids for state competition.</p>

IUPUI to host geography whiz kids for state competition

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

INDIANAPOLIS — Young geography whizzes from across Indiana will participate in the Indiana Geographic Bee on Friday, April 4, competing for a spot in the 26th annual National Geographic Bee in Washington, D.C., in May.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis will host the Indiana Geographic Bee, beginning at 12:30 p.m. in Room 101 of Lecture Hall, 325 University Blvd. The final round is expected to begin around 3:15 p.m. This year’s moderator for the final round is Sam Graves, moderator of the TV program “Consider This” produced by the Department of Political Science in the IU School of Liberal Arts at IUPUI.

One hundred fourth-to eighth-graders qualified for this year’s state-level competition. The state champion will receive $100 and an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C., for the national finals May 19 to 21 and the chance to be crowned the national champion.

The winner of the National Geographic Bee receives a $50,000 college scholarship and lifetime membership in the National Geographic Society. Second- and third-place finishers receive $25,000 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 up-close encounters with the wildlife and landscapes of the islands on an expedition aboard the National Geographic Endeavour. Travel for the Galápagos voyage is provided by Lindblad Expeditions and National Geographic.

The state competition begins with a welcome ceremony featuring opening remarks by Bill Blomquist, dean of the IU School of Liberal Arts, and Glenda Ritz, Indiana superintendent of public instruction.

National Geographic developed the National Geographic Bee in 1989 in response to concern about the lack of geographic knowledge among young people in the United States.

The Indiana Geographic Bee is organized by the Geography Educators’ Network of Indiana, based at IUPUI.

The top 10 national finalists for 2014 along with next year’s top 10 will be eligible for selection for the three-person team to represent the United States at the National Geographic World Championship in July 2015 in Stockholm, Sweden.

 

Note to Editors: 2014 National Geographic Bee press resources, including complete lists of competitors by state, are available online. No flash photography is allowed during competition. No cameras are allowed on stage during final competition. Media attending the event are asked to sign in at the media table for additional information.