Geography Competitions

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC GAMES LAUNCHES ONLINE CASUAL GAMES PORTAL WITH COMMUNITY FEATURES IN PARTNERSHIP WITH OBERON MEDIA

2009-07-16

WASHINGTON (July 15, 2009)—National Geographic Games (NGG), in collaboration with Oberon Media, the leading multiplatform casual games company, has launched its first online subscription-based gaming portal (games.nationalgeographic.com). The branded portal features a mix of premium online and multiplayer games that consumers can download on a free trial basis, purchase or subscribe to a monthly games package for a modest fee. Some branded games will also be offered free.

The portal features a growing list of premium games created by NGG, as well as popular games from across Oberon Media's vast game publisher network. The announcement was made today by Paul Levine, senior vice president, National Geographic Interactive Platforms Group.

Set to reach millions monthly, the portal extends National Geographic's core mission to "inspire people to care about the planet" through interactive gaming experiences across multiple platforms. The new National Geographic gaming portal also goes beyond conventional online casual gaming and offers players a community in which they can create personal avatars and interact socially as they play.

"This partnership extends our reach to a whole new generation of video game players and families," Levine said. "Our branded game portal allows consumers to easily play fun, high-quality games based on National Geographic's core themes and media properties as well as dozens of other well-known games. The community features integrated into the portal will expand and enhance gamers' play experiences and overall connection with the National Geographic brand."

The portal builds on the success of hit titles created by NGG such as "Herod's Lost Tomb" and "Plan It Green," which have been widely distributed globally and which have realized millions of downloads across the world's top casual game sites and are now available at retail.

"Developing this casual game portal will bring National Geographic content to viewers and players in a uniquely interactive and engaging way," said Ofer Leidner, co-founder and chief strategy officer at Oberon Media. "We're proud to present such entertaining and exciting content on a cohesively branded new platform."

About National Geographic Ventures
National Geographic Ventures (NGV) is a wholly owned, taxable subsidiary of National Geographic Society, one of the largest nonprofit scientific and educational organizations in the world. Founded in 1888 to "increase and diffuse geographic knowledge," the National Geographic Society works to inspire people to care about the planet. NGV, part of the editorial group National Geographic Global Media, includes National Geographic Television production and distribution, National Geographic Television International, Digital Media (including Nationalgeographic.com) and National Geographic Interactive Platforms Group, comprising the Mobile, Gaming, Maps and Interactive Publishing business groups. NGV creates and distributes content across multi-platforms and media, providing outlets for the hundreds of scientific and expedition-based grants awarded each year. For more information, go to www.nationalgeographic.com.

About Oberon Media
Oberon Media, the world's leading multi-platform casual games company, is the first company to deliver global, integrated casual games solutions across three platforms — online, mobile and interactive television and at retail. Oberon game solutions have been adopted by the world's leading digital and media companies, such as Microsoft, Verizon, Yahoo!, Electronic Arts, MySpace, Orange France and NHN. The Game Center combines casual game content, merchandizing and features to fulfill our partners' specific needs. Oberon Media's game publishing division, I-play, works with the industry's best and award-winning game developers to produce the top-selling casual games, which are played across online, mobile, console and iTV platforms in more than a dozen languages. Founded in 2003, Oberon Media is headquartered in New York with offices in North America, Europe and Asia, and is backed by Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and Oak Investment Partners.

CANADA TAKES GOLD AT NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

2009-07-15

MEXICO CITY (July 15, 2009)—Defeating teams from 14 other regions, Canada took top honors at the ninth National Geographic World Championship held today at the National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City. The United States came second, and Poland, just one point behind the United States, was third. This is the second time Canada has won the geography competition. It was victorious at the third National Geographic World Championship in 1997, when it beat eight other teams in Washington, D.C.

The presenting sponsor of this year's international contest organized by the National Geographic Society was Telmex Foundation, with supporting sponsorship from the Mexican Academy of Sciences, CONACYT, JW Marriott Mexico City and Televisa Foundation.

The Canadian team comprised Peter Brandt, 15, of Sainte Anne, Manitoba; Christopher Chiavatti, 15, of Burnaby, British Columbia; and Graham Tompkins, 16, of Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. The U.S. team members were Kenji Golimlim, 11, of Southgate, Michigan; Milan Sandhu, 15, of Bedford, New Hampshire; and Eric Yang, 13, of The Colony, Texas. Poland's team members were Piotr Byrski, 16, of Łodygowice, Ślaskie; Wojciech Kaczmarczyk, 16, of Racibórz, Ślaskie; and Gabriel Stachura, 16, of Lublin, Lubelskie.

In an Olympics-style ceremony, medals were awarded to the first-, second- and third-placed teams. Alex Trebek, host of the U.S. television quiz show "Jeopardy!", moderated today's finals.

Canada, the United States and Poland qualified for the final round after obtaining the highest combined scores in a written contest on Sunday and in Monday's preliminary activity that included a hands-on map activity. Canada was the highest scorer in these earlier rounds.

Students were eligible to take part in the World Championship competition by winning or being a top finisher in the national competitions of their home regions. The 12 other teams competing this year were from Australia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Chinese Taipei, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Mexico, Romania, Russia, Slovakia and the United Kingdom.

John Fahey, president of the National Geographic Society, said the competition was a great way for talented young geographers around the world to match wits against each other and to enjoy a rewarding cross-cultural exchange. "The competition enhances international dialogue and understanding and promotes friendships around the globe," he added.

The World Championship is held every two years. The first contest, held in London in 1993, was won by the United States, which beat teams from the United Kingdom and Russia. The Australians, competing against four other teams, won the 1995 competition in Orlando, Fla. The third championship, held in 1997 at National Geographic headquarters in Washington, D.C., was won by Canada, which bested eight other teams. The United States won the next four competitions: against 11 other teams in Toronto, Canada, in 1999; against 12 other teams in Vancouver, Canada, in 2001; against 17 other teams at Busch Gardens, Fla., in 2003; and against 17 other teams in Budapest, Hungary, in 2005. The 2007 competition at SeaWorld, San Diego, was won by Mexico, which beat 16 other teams.

NOTE: Up-to-date information about the competition will be posted in the National Geographic online press room at nationalgeographic.com/pressroom.

Photographs can be downloaded at FTP site http://ftp.nationalgeographic.com/pressroom/ngwc/
User name: press
Password: press

EPK video of the National Geographic World Championship will be available:

North American Distribution
Date:             Wednesday, July 15
Time:            1630-1645 ET
SAT:              AMC 3 C-band Domestic Analog
Trans:         08
U/L FREQ:    6085 H
D/L FREQ:    3860 V
Audio:          6.2 & 6.8 sub carriers

Europe & Asia Distribution
Via APTN Global Video Wire (GVW)

World Championship Media Advisory

2009-07-13

WHAT:
Teams of students from Canada, Poland and the United States have qualified for Wednesday's final round of the National Geographic World Championship being held in Mexico City this week. Alex Trebek, host of the U.S. television quiz show "Jeopardy!", will moderate the finals. A total of 15 teams took part in two preliminary activities on Sunday and Monday. Canada, Poland and the United States gained the highest scores in these earlier rounds.

WHEN:
Final Round
11 a.m. to noon CT (approx.)
Wednesday, July 15
Media may enter 10 a.m.

WHERE:
National Museum of Anthropology
Avenida Paseo de la Reforma
Chapultepec Park
Mexico City

NOTE: Up-to-date information about the competition will be posted in the National Geographic online press room at nationalgeographic.com/pressroom.
Photographs can be downloaded at FTP site: http://ftp.nationalgeographic.com/pressroom/ngwc/
User name: press
Password: press

EPK video of the National Geographic World Championship is available:

North American Distribution
Date:             Wednesday, July 15
Time:            1630-1645 ET
SAT:              AMC 3 C-band Domestic Analog
Trans:         08
U/L FREQ:    6085 H
D/L FREQ:    3860 V
Audio:          6.2 & 6.8 sub carriers

Europe & Asia Distribution
Via APTN Global Video Wire (GVW)

BRIGHTEST GEOGRAPHY WHIZ KIDS FROM 15 REGIONS TO COMPETE FOR INTERNATIONAL GEOGRAPHY TITLE IN MEXICO IN JULY

2009-06-29

WASHINGTON (June 29, 2009)--Fifteen teams of the brightest geography students from around the globe will meet in Mexico City July 11-16, 2009, to take part in the ninth National Geographic World Championship. The presenting sponsor of the international contest, organized by the National Geographic Society, is Telmex Foundation, with supporting sponsorship from the Mexican Academy of Sciences, CONACYT, JW Marriott Mexico City and Televisa Foundation.

Each team will comprise three students who excelled in their national geography competition. The teams will meet to answer questions on physical, cultural and economic geography in two levels of competition. Current world champion Mexico will defend its title against teams from Australia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chinese Taipei, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, the United Kingdom and the United States.

The students will arrive in Mexico City on July 11. The teams will take a written test on July 12 and explore some of the historic areas of Mexico City; the following day, they will battle each other in a challenging hands-on activity in the morning and visit the ancient city of Teotihuacan that afternoon. On July 14 they will explore Chapultepec Park, one of the largest urban parks in the world, and the nearby museums. The three teams with the highest scores from the written test and geography activity will meet at the National Museum of Anthropology and History for the championship finals on July 15. They will answer questions in a game-show format, moderated by Alex Trebek, host of the popular U.S. television quiz show "Jeopardy!".

The National Geographic World Championship takes place every two years. The first contest, held in London in 1993, was won by the United States, which beat teams from the United Kingdom and Russia. The Australians, competing against four other teams, won the 1995 competition at Epcot at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Fla. The third championship, held in 1997 in Washington, D.C., was won by Canada, which bested teams from eight other regions. The fourth competition, held in Toronto, in 1999, was won by the United States, which also won the 2001 contest in Vancouver, the 2003 contest at Busch Gardens, Tampa Bay, Fla., and the 2005 contest in Budapest, Hungary. The 2007 competition at SeaWorld, San Diego, was won by Mexico.

"Promoting knowledge of our world, its cultures and the environment is at the heart of the mission of the National Geographic Society," said John Fahey, Society president and CEO. "The National Geographic World Championship provides a forum for top geography students from all corners of the globe to compete and to determine which team is the international geography champion. By participating in their region's competition and advancing to the international level, each student learns so much about our planet and becomes a better global citizen for the experience."

Arturo Elías Ayub, CEO of Telmex Foundation, said, "At Telmex Foundation we are convinced that the best tool to fight poverty, to ensure a more just society and to guarantee a better future for Mexico's youth is education. Therefore, we are proud to support this ninth National Geographic World Championship, because it motivates the young participants to learn more about and expand their vision of the marvelous world that surrounds us and to appreciate its wealth and diversity. The team members also will have the priceless experience of establishing relationships with other cultures, from which, undoubtedly, we all have many things to learn."

The National Geographic Society developed the National Geographic Bee in 1989 and the National Geographic World Championship in 1993 in response to concern about the lack of geographic knowledge among young people in the United States. And the problem is not yet resolved: The National Geographic-Roper Public Affairs 2006 Geographic Literacy Study showed that Americans aged 18 to 24 still have limited understanding of the world within and beyond their country's borders. Even after Hurricane Katrina, one-third could not locate Louisiana and almost half could not locate Mississippi on a U.S. map. Only four out of 10 were able to find Iraq on a map of the Middle East.

More information about the National Geographic World Championship is available at www.nationalgeographic.com/worldchampionship.

About National Geographic
The National Geographic Society is one of the world's largest nonprofit scientific and educational organizations. Founded in 1888 to "increase and diffuse geographic knowledge," the Society works to inspire people to care about the planet. It reaches more than 360 million people worldwide each month through its official journal, National Geographic, and four other magazines; National Geographic Channel; television documentaries; radio programs; films; books; DVDs; maps; and interactive media. National Geographic has funded more than 9,000 scientific research projects and supports an education program promoting geographic literacy. For more information, visit nationalgeographic.com.

About Telmex Foundation
In 1996 Telmex Foundation initiated activities to help solve problems that affect social development in Mexico and to support victims of natural disasters in Mexico and other Latin American countries. In order to carry out this mission, Telmex Foundation works in seven core areas: Education, Health, Nutrition, Justice, Culture, Human Development and Support in Natural Disasters.

With permanent programs designed and focused on these core guidelines, Telmex Foundation confirms each day its commitment to building a Mexico that offers better living standards to its people and allows its inhabitants to build a better future for themselves, their families and their communities, for the benefit of the country.

NOTE: Up-to-date information about the competition will be posted in the National Geographic online press room at nationalgeographic.com/pressroom.

Photographs can be downloaded throughout the week of July 11-16 at FTP site: http://ftp.nationalgeographic.com/pressroom/ngwc/
User name: press
Password: press

ERIC YANG FROM TEXAS WINS 2009 NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC BEE AND $25,000 COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIP

2009-05-20

WASHINGTON (May 20, 2009)—Eric Yang, 13, a seventh-grader at Griffin Middle School in The Colony, Texas, took top honors at the 2009 National Geographic Bee held in Washington, D.C., today. He won a $25,000 college scholarship, lifetime membership in the National Geographic Society and a trip to the Galápagos Islands with National Geographic Bee moderator and "Jeopardy!" host Alex Trebek.

Second-place winner and recipient of a $15,000 college scholarship was Oregon's Arjun Kandaswamy, 14, an eighth-grader at Meadow Park Middle School in Beaverton. Third place and a $10,000 college scholarship went to North Carolina's Shantan Krovvidi, 13, a seventh-grader at Ligon Middle School in Raleigh.

The winning question was: Timiş County shares its name with a tributary of the Danube and is located in the western part of which European country? Answer: Romania.

Fifty-five state and territory winners took part in the preliminary rounds of the 2009 National Geographic Bee on Tuesday, May 19. The top 10 contestants met in today's final round. The seven other finalists, who won $500, were Nicholas Farnsworth of Arizona, Shiva Kangayan of Florida, Siva Gangavarapu of Illinois, Zaroug Jaleel of Massachusetts, Kenji Golimlim of Michigan, Kennan Sparks of Utah and Vansh Jain of Wisconsin.

Nearly 5 million students take part in the National Geographic Bee each year.

Media Contacts:
For first-place winner: Ann Barrett, (202) 857-7662, abarrett@ngs.org /John McFeely, (202) 857-7659, jmcfeely@ngs.org

For second-place winner: Stephanie Montgomery, (202) 857-5838, smontgom@ngs.org

For third-place winner: Liz Nickless, (202) 775-6163, enickles@ngs.org

Geography Bee Finals Media Advisory

2009-05-19

WHO/WHAT:
The preliminary round of the 21st annual National Geographic Bee was held today, Tuesday, May 19. The top 10 finishers, from a field of 55 state-level winners, will compete in the final round to be held at the National Geographic Society in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, May 20. First prize is a $25,000 college scholarship, lifetime membership in the National Geographic Society and a trip to the Galápagos Islands with Bee moderator and "Jeopardy!" quiz show host Alex Trebek.

The 10 finalists are:

Nicholas Farnsworth, Arizona
Shiva Kangeyan, Florida
Siva Gangavarapu, Illinois
Zaroug Jaleel, Massachusetts
Kenji Golimlim, Michigan
Shantan Krovvidi, North Carolina
Arjun Kandaswamy, Oregon
Eric Yang, Texas
Kennen Sparks, Utah
Vansh Jain, Wisconsin

WHEN/WHERE:
Wednesday, May 20
Doors open to the media 8:15 a.m. ET
Doors close 9:30 a.m. ET
Competition 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. ET

National Geographic Society
Grosvenor Auditorium
1600 M Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C.

CONTACT:
Ann Barrett
(202) 857-7662; abarrett@ngs.org

John McFeely
(202) 857-7659; jmcfeely@ngs.org

Note to Media:
Downloadable photographs of the 10 finalists and press release with general event information are available at
http://ftp.nationalgeographic.com/pressroom/bee_09/
(user name: press | password: press)

Names and photographs of the top three winners and the winning question will be posted by 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 20, at http://ftp.nationalgeographic.com/pressroom/bee_09/
user name: press | password: press)

STATE GEOGRAPHIC BEE WINNERS TO COMPETE FOR NATIONAL BEE TITLE AND $25,000 COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIP

2009-05-08

WASHINGTON (May 8, 2009)—One would like to be a time-traveler, so he could see our future world; another hopes to become a doctor and find a cure for cancer. One composes music and has almost finished writing a symphony; another has his sights set on becoming a professional soccer player. Several hope to hold high political office one day. But all have their eyes on one goal at present — to take top honors at the 21st annual National Geographic Bee, to be held in Washington, D.C., on May 19 and 20. Google is the sponsor of this year's contest.

Fifty-five fourth- to eighth-graders, ranging in age from 9-15, will be vying for the Bee crown and the top prize of a $25,000 college scholarship and lifetime membership in the National Geographic Society. Second and third prizes are college scholarships of $15,000 and $10,000. Additionally, the national winner will travel (along with one parent or guardian), all expenses paid, to the Galápagos Islands with "Jeopardy!" quiz show host and National Geographic Bee moderator Alex Trebek and the "Jeopardy!" Clue Crew. The winner will experience geography firsthand through up-close encounters with the wildlife and landscape of the Galápagos. Travel for the "Galápagos Adventure with Alex Trebek" is provided by Lindblad Expeditions and the National Geographic Society.

The finalists, all winners of their state-level geographic bees, have triumphed over a field of nearly 5 million students to earn a place in the national championships. They represent the 50 states, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Pacific Territories and Department of Defense Dependents Schools.

The preliminary rounds of the National Geographic Bee will take place on Tuesday, May 19. The top 10 finalists will each win $500 and advance to the final round on Wednesday, May 20, which will be moderated by Alex Trebek. The final round will air on May 20 nationally on the National Geographic Channel. Produced by National Geographic Television, the finals also will be broadcast later on public television stations, presented by Maryland Public Television. Check local listings for viewing dates and times.

Seven of the students taking part in this year's National Geographic Bee are repeat state winners. Shiva Kangeyan of Florida, Alexander Fager of Hawaii, Trevor Eggenberger of Kansas and Alexander Wade of Nevada represented their states at the 2008 championship. Amal de Alwis of Louisiana, Kennen Sparks of Utah and Kirsi Anselmi-Stith were state winners in 2007.

A survey of this year's state and territory Bee winners shows that they have numerous talents in addition to their prodigious geography knowledge. Many are on their school's honor rolls and in the National Junior Honor Society; many have won math, science and spelling contests; a number study music or languages; most play a variety of sports.

Barack Obama tops the list of people the students admire (apart from their parents), followed by grandparents and teachers. While many of the kids said they are perfectly content being themselves, U.S. president, secretary of state or an ambassador head the list of other people they might choose to be.

John Fahey, president and CEO of the National Geographic Society, said, "National Geographic's mission is to inspire people to care about planet. Through the National Geographic Bee and everything else we do at the Society, we hope to foster a lifelong passion for learning about the wonders of the Earth and its diverse lands and cultures."

"The Geographic Bee has been a great motivator for students to learn about the world and its natural and human geography. At Google, we are proud of the fact that many of these students are using Google Earth as an educational tool, and we are pleased to be sponsoring National Geographic Society's Geographic Bee program," said Brian McClendon, engineering director at Google.

The National Geographic Society developed the National Geographic Bee in 1989 in response to concern about the lack of geographic knowledge among young people in the United States. And the problem is not yet resolved: The results of a National Geographic-Roper Public Affairs 2006 Geographic Literacy Study showed that Americans aged 18 to 24 still have limited understanding of the world within and beyond our country's borders. Even after Hurricane Katrina, one-third could not locate Louisiana, and almost half could not locate Mississippi on a U.S. map. Only four in 10 were able to find Iraq on a map of the Middle East.

The 2008 National Geographic Bee champion was 11-year-old sixth-grader Akshay Rajagopal of Nebraska. The winning question was: The urban area of Cochabamba has been in the news in recent years due to protests over the privatization of the municipal water supply and regional autonomy issues. Cochabamba is the third largest conurbation in what country? Answer: Bolivia.

About National Geographic
The National Geographic Society is one of the world's largest nonprofit scientific and educational organizations. Founded in 1888 to "increase and diffuse geographic knowledge," the Society works to inspire people to care about the planet. It reaches more than 360 million people worldwide each month through its official journal, National Geographic, and other magazines; National Geographic Channel; television documentaries; music; radio; films; books; DVDs; maps; exhibitions; live events; school publishing programs; interactive media; and merchandise. National Geographic has funded more than 9,000 scientific research, conservation and exploration projects and supports an education program combating geographic illiteracy. For more information, visit www.nationalgeographic.com.

Based at National Geographic Society headquarters in Washington, D.C., the National Geographic Channel is a joint venture between National Geographic Television and FOX Cable Networks Group. It debuted to an initial 10 million homes in January 2001 and is currently available in nearly 70 million U.S. homes.

About Google's Geo Education Program
The Geo Education program is made up of a group of Googlers who are passionate about education and who believe that Google Earth and Maps are powerful educational tools. The program aims to make these tools more accessible to educators and to connect educators to each other so that they can share their experiences. The Geo Education group has created a Web site, www.google.com/educators/geo, where educators can find classroom activities in a variety of subjects and a discussion group where they can share information.

NOTE: The names and pictures of the Bee champion and the two runners-up and the winning question will be posted on the National Geographic online press room at the following ftp site:
http://ftp.nationalgeographic.com/pressroom/bee_09/
(username: press | password: press)

2009 NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC BEE STATE WINNERS

2009-05-08

ALABAMA
Jonathan Hess, 8th Grade, Holy Spirit Catholic Regional School, Tuscaloosa

ALASKA
Bethany Lee, 8th Grade, Interior Distance Education of Alaska - Anchorage

ARIZONA
Nicholas Farnsworth, 8th Grade, Flagstaff Home Educators, Flagstaff

ARKANSAS
Zack Safley, 6th Grade, Beebe Middle School, Beebe

CALIFORNIA
Samuel Bressler, 7th Grade, Ladera Vista Junior High School, Fullerton

COLORADO
Alden Savoca, 8th Grade, Eastern Colorado Christian Home Educators, Colorado Springs

CONNECTICUT
Robert Chu, 8th Grade, Hopkins School, New Haven

DELAWARE
Varun Wadhwa, 6th Grade, The Independence School, Newark

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE DEPENDENTS SCHOOLS
Miguel Guevara, 8th Grade, Schweinfurt Middle School, Schweinfurt, Germany

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Michael Laskowski, 7th Grade, St. Anselm's Abbey School

FLORIDA
Shiva Kangeyan, 7th Grade, Archimedean Middle Conservatory, Miami

GEORGIA
Pranav Bhandarkar, 7th Grade, Malcom Bridge Middle School, Bogart

HAWAII
Alexander Fager, 7th Grade, Our Savior Lutheran School, Aiea

IDAHO
Karthik Mouli, 5th Grade, Hillside Junior High School, Boise

ILLINOIS
Siva Gangavarapu, 7th Grade, Thayer J. Hill Middle School, Naperville

INDIANA
Ian Markham, 7th Grade, Nativity of Our Savior Catholic School, Portage

IOWA
Luc Moisan, 8th Grade, Grinnell Middle School, Grinnell

KANSAS
Trevor Eggenberger, 7th Grade, Central Christian Academy, Wichita

KENTUCKY
Joseph Michael Kamer, Jr., 7th Grade, The Lexington School, Lexington

LOUISIANA
Amal de Alwis, 7th Grade, Southeastern Louisiana University Laboratory School, Hammond

MAINE
Conor Millard, 6th Grade, Leonard Middle School, Old Town

MARYLAND
James Devinne, 6th Grade, Dumbarton Middle School, Baltimore

MASSACHUSETTS
Zaroug Jaleel, 8th Grade, Jonas Clarke Middle School, Lexington

MICHIGAN
Karl Golimlim, 8th Grade, Summit Academy, Flat Rock

MINNESOTA
Cody Baird, 8th Grade, Jackson Middle School, Champlin

MISSISSIPPI
William Johnston, 6th Grade, Coast Episcopal School, Long Beach

MISSOURI
Eric Matthews, 8th Grade, El Dorado Springs Middle School, El Dorado

MONTANA
Thomas Culver, 8th Grade, Helena Middle School, Helena

NEBRASKA
Erik Ingram, 8th Grade, Logan Fontenelle Middle School, Bellevue

NEVADA
Alexander Wade, 6th Grade, Davidson Academy, Reno

NEW HAMPSHIRE
Cooper Lecza, 8th Grade, Ross A. Lurgio Middle School, Bedford

NEW JERSEY
Roey Hadar, 8th Grade, Rumson Country Day School, Rumson

NEW MEXICO
Nicholas Anderson, 7th Grade, Eisenhower Middle School, Albuquerque

NEW YORK
Aidan Langston, 6th Grade, St. Ann's School, Brooklyn

NORTH CAROLINA
Shantan Krovvidi, 7th Grade, Ligon Middle School, Raleigh

NORTH DAKOTA
Casey Murphy, 8th Grade, Carrington Public School, Carrington

OHIO
Nick Merchant, 8th Grade, St. Brendan School, Hilliard

OKLAHOMA
Nathan Thompson, 7th Grade, Irving Middle School, Norman

OREGON
Arjun Kandaswamy, 8th Grade, Meadow Park Middle School, Beaverton

PACIFIC TERRITORIES
Zachary MacKeller, 8th Grade, Andersen Middle School, Guam

PENNSYLVANIA
Henry Glitz, 7th Grade, St. Bernard School, Pittsburgh

PUERTO RICO
Conrado Asenjo, 8th Grade, Academia Perpetuo Socorro, San Juan

RHODE ISLAND
Oliver Lucier, 7th Grade, Broad Rock Middle School, Wakefield

SOUTH CAROLINA
Luke Porter, 8th Grade, Richland County Home Educators, Columbia

SOUTH DAKOTA
Alex Kimn, 6th Grade, George S. Mickelson Middle School, Brookings

TENNESSEE
Joseph Peterson, 8th Grade, First Assembly Christian School, Cordova

TEXAS
Eric Yang, 7th Grade, Griffin Middle School, The Colony

UTAH
Kennen Sparks, 8th Grade, Farmington Junior High School, Farmington

VERMONT
Roger Danilek, 4th Grade, Marion Cross School, Norwich

VIRGINIA
Sidharth Verma, 7th Grade, Rachel Carson Middle School, Herndon

VIRGIN ISLANDS
Nathan Peacock, 8th Grade, St. Croix Country Day School, Kingshill

WASHINGTON
Benjamin Salman, 8th Grade, Highline Homeschool Center, Burien

WEST VIRGINIA
Jacob Ramthun, 8th Grade, Athens School, Athens

WISCONSIN
Vansh Jain, 5th Grade, Minocqua-Hazelhurst-Lake Tomahawk Elementary, Minocqua

WYOMING
Kirsi Anselmi-Stith, 7th Grade, East Junior High School, Rock Springs

TOP GEOGRAPHY STUDENTS TO TEST SKILLS AT STATE GEOGRAPHIC BEES ON APRIL 3

2009-03-10

WASHINGTON (March 23, 2009)—On Friday, April 3, young geography whizzes across the United States and U.S. territories will participate in state-level Geographic Bees, competing for a spot in the national competition in Washington, D.C., in May. The Bee is organized by the National Geographic Society, and this year's state sponsors are Google and Plum Creek.

Up to 100 fourth- to eighth-graders in each of the 50 states, District of Columbia, U.S. territories and Department of Defense Dependents Schools have qualified for the state Bees. Each state winner will receive $100, the "National Geographic Collegiate Atlas of the World," and an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C., for the national finals on May 19-20 and the chance to be crowned 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. Additionally, the national winner will travel (along with one parent or guardian), all expenses paid, to the Galápagos Islands with "Jeopardy!" quiz show host and National Geographic Bee moderator Alex Trebek and the "Jeopardy!" Clue Crew. The winner will experience geography firsthand through up-close encounters with the wildlife and landscape of the Galápagos. Travel for the "Galápagos Adventure with Alex Trebek" is provided by Lindblad Expeditions and the National Geographic Society.

John Fahey, president and CEO of the National Geographic Society, said, "National Geographic's mission is to inspire people to care about planet. Through the National Geographic Bee and everything else we do at the Society, we hope to foster a lifelong passion for learning and to encourage the experience and knowledge of other cultures and lands."

"The Geographic Bee has been a great motivator for students to learn about the world and its natural and human geography. At Google, we are proud of the fact that many of these students are using Google Earth as an educational tool, and we are pleased to be sponsoring National Geographic Society's Geographic Bee program," said Brian McClendon, engineering director at Google.

"The Geographic Bee is truly an outstanding program that provides students a unique opportunity to better understand our world and the events happening around them," said Bob Jirsa, president, Plum Creek Foundation. "Education is one of the focal points of our Plum Creek Foundation, so we're genuinely pleased to expand our partnership with the National Geographic Society's Geographic Bee program to state Bees across the United States."

The state Bees are the second level of the annual National Geographic Bee. The first level began last November with contests in more than 13,000 U.S. schools, in which millions of students participated.

The championship round of the National Geographic Bee — moderated by "Jeopardy!"'s Alex Trebek for the 21st year — will be held at National Geographic's Washington, D.C., headquarters on Wednesday, May 20, and will air that day nationally on the National Geographic Channel. Produced by National Geographic Television, the finals also will be broadcast later on public television stations, presented by Maryland Public Television. Check local listings for viewing dates and times.

Visitors to the Bee section of the National Geographic Society Web site, www.nationalgeographic.com/geographicbee, can hone their geography skills by checking out the new GeoBee Challenge online game.

The National Geographic Society 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 problem is not yet resolved. A National Geographic-Roper Public Affairs 2006 Geographic Literacy Study showed that Americans aged 18 to 24 still had limited understanding of the world within and beyond our country's borders. Even after Hurricane Katrina, one-third could not locate Louisiana, and almost half could not locate Mississippi on a U.S. map. Only four out of 10 were able to find Iraq on a map of the Middle East.

About National Geographic
The National Geographic Society is one of the world's largest nonprofit scientific and educational organizations. Founded in 1888 to "increase and diffuse geographic knowledge," the Society works to inspire people to care about the planet. It reaches more than 325 million people worldwide each month through its official journal, National Geographic, and other magazines; National Geographic Channel; television documentaries; music; radio; films; books; DVDs; maps; exhibitions; school publishing programs; interactive media; and merchandise. National Geographic has funded more than 9,000 scientific research, conservation and exploration projects and supports an education program combating geographic illiteracy. For more information, visit www.nationalgeographic.com.

Based at National Geographic Society headquarters in Washington, D.C., the National Geographic Channel is a joint venture between National Geographic Television and FOX Cable Networks Group. It debuted to an initial 10 million homes in January 2001 and is currently available in more than 69 million U.S. homes.

About Google's Geo Education Program
The Geo Education program is made up of a group of Googlers who are passionate about education and who believe that Google Earth and Maps are powerful educational tools. The program aims to make these tools more accessible to educators and to connect educators to each other so that they can share their experiences. The Geo Education group has created a Web site, www.google.com/educators/geo, where educators can find classroom activities in a variety of subjects and a discussion group where they can share information.

About Plum Creek
Plum Creek is the largest and most geographically diverse private landowner in the nation, with more than 7 million acres of timberlands in major timber-producing regions of the United States and 10 wood products manufacturing facilities in the Northwest.

Note to Editors: Press resources on the Bee can be found at www.nationalgeographic.com/geographicbee and www.nationalgeographic.com/pressroom.

National Geographic Bee 2009 State Qualifiers List

2009-03-06

Click on the link at right to access the list of the 2009 National Geographic Bee State Qualifiers.

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC BEE TURNS 20; FIRST 4-TIME STATE-LEVEL CHAMPION WILL TAKE PART

2008-05-06

WASHINGTON (May 5, 2008)—As the National Geographic Bee celebrates its 20th year, the first four-time state-level winner will head to the national finals this month. Benjamin Geyer does not have far to go — he is the hometown champion. An eighth-grader at the British School of Washington, Geyer represented Washington, D.C., at the 2005, 2006 and 2007 national competitions and will take his place with 54 other state-level winners at the 2008 National Geographic Bee, to be held in Washington, D.C., on May 20 and 21.

The 55 fifth- to eighth-graders, ranging in age from 10 to 14, will be competing for the top prize of a $25,000 college scholarship and lifetime membership in the National Geographic Society. Second and third prizes are college scholarships of $15,000 and $10,000.

The Bee finalists have triumphed over a field of nearly 5 million students to win their state-level competitions and earn a place in the national championships. They represent the 50 states, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Pacific Territories and Department of Defense Dependents Schools.

The preliminary rounds of the National Geographic Bee will take place on Tuesday, May 20. The top 10 finalists will each win $500 and advance to the final round on Wednesday, May 21, which will be moderated for the 20th year by Alex Trebek, host of the television quiz show "Jeopardy!".

Wednesday morning's final round will air nationally at 5 p.m. (ET/PT) that day on the National Geographic Channel. Produced by National Geographic Television, the finals also will be broadcast on public television stations nationally. Check nationalgeographic.com/geographicbee or local listings for viewing times.

In addition to Geyer, who finished in the top 10 in last year's competition, four other students taking part in this year's National Geographic Bee are repeat state-level winners. Erik Troske of Indiana, Milan Sandhu of New Hampshire and Muta Abiff of the U.S. Virgin Islands took part in the 2007 national contest; Autumn Hughes represented Colorado at the 2006 National Geographic Bee.

A survey of this year's state and territory Bee winners shows that they have numerous talents in addition to their prodigious knowledge of geography. Many have won math, science and other academic contests; several play a number of musical instruments; most enjoy a variety of sports. One has written a 57,000-page novel, another is a part-time magician.

When the students were asked who they most admire (apart from their parents), the highest number of votes went to Al Gore, Mahatma Gandhi, those serving in the armed forces and teachers. While the majority of the kids said they were perfectly content being themselves, the president of the United States, U.N. secretary general and Bill Gates topped the list of other people they might choose to be.

The National Geographic Society held the first National Geographic Bee in 1989. The competition was developed in response to concern about the lack of geographic knowledge among young people in the United States. And the problem is not yet resolved: A National Geographic-Roper Public Affairs 2006 Geographic Literacy Study showed that Americans aged 18 to 24 still have limited understanding of the world within and beyond their country's borders. Even after Hurricane Katrina, one-third could not locate Louisiana and almost half could not locate Mississippi on a U.S. map. Only four out of 10 were able to find Iraq on a map of the Middle East.

"For the past 20 years, National Geographic has been at the forefront of promoting geographic literacy among young people. The National Geographic Bee is one of our most popular programs, and it has motivated tens of millions of youngsters to learn about the world," said National Geographic Society President John Fahey.

The 2007 National Geographic Bee champion was Caitlin Snaring, a 14-year-old eighth-grader from Redmond, Wash., and the second girl to win the national title.

The National Geographic Society is one of the world's largest nonprofit scientific and educational organizations. Founded in 1888 to "increase and diffuse geographic knowledge," the Society works to inspire people to care about the planet. It reaches more than 300 million people worldwide each month through its official journal, National Geographic, and other magazines; National Geographic Channel; television documentaries; music; radio; films; books; DVDs; maps; school publishing programs; interactive media; and merchandise. National Geographic has funded more than 8,800 scientific research, conservation and exploration projects and supports an education program combating geographic illiteracy. For more information, visit nationalgeographic.com.

###

NOTE: The names and pictures of the top three winners and the winning question will be posted in the National Geographic online press room at nationalgeographic.com/pressroom on Wednesday, May 21.

2008 NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC BEE STATE WINNERS

2008-04-07

ALABAMA
Hunter Bledsoe, 8th Grade, Hewitt Trussville Middle School, Trussville

ALASKA
Thomas Long, 8th Grade, Kodiak Middle School, Kodiak

ARIZONA
Adam Schilperoort, 7th Grade, Greater Prescott Area Homeschoolers, Prescott Valley

ARKANSAS
Eli Westerman, 6th Grade, Fountain Lake Intermediate School, Hot Springs

CALIFORNIA
Nikhil Desai, 8th Grade, Challenger School, Newark

COLORADO
Autumn Hughes, 8th Grade, Christian Home Educators of Colorado, Colorado Springs

CONNECTICUT
Thomas Denham, 5th Grade, Tokeneke Elementary School, Darien

DELAWARE
Daniel Keiser, 8th Grade, Corpus Christi School, Wilmington

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE DEPENDENTS SCHOOLS
Forrest Kamperman, 8th Grade, Ramstein Middle School, Germany

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Benjamin Geyer, 8th Grade, British School of Washington, Washington, D.C.

FLORIDA
Shiva Kangeyan, 6th Grade, Archimedean Middle Conservatory, Miami

GEORGIA
Alexander Krupp, 7th Grade, Chamblee Middle School, Chamblee

HAWAII
Alexander Fager, 6th Grade, Trinity Lutheran School, Wahiawa

IDAHO
Michael Reynolds, 8th Grade, Taylorview Junior High School, Idaho Falls

ILLINOIS
Gideon Ticho, 7th Grade, Aveny Coonley School, Downers Grove

INDIANA
Erik Troske, 8th Grade, Barker Middle School, Michigan City

IOWA
Caleb Olson, 8th Grade, Chariton Middle School, Chariton

KANSAS
Trevor Eggenberger, 5th Grade, Central Christian Academy, Wichita

KENTUCKY
Matthew Vaughan, 8th Grade, Jefferson County Home Educators, Louisville

LOUISIANA
Barrett Pratt, 6th Grade, St. Joseph Catholic School, Thibodaux

MAINE
Kristopher Kohles, 8th Grade, William S. Cohen School, Bangor

MARYLAND
Michael Morris, 8th Grade, Roberto Clemente Middle School, Germantown

MASSACHUSETTS
William Lee, 8th Grade, Joyce Middle School, Woburn

MICHIGAN
Yunchen Tian, 8th Grade, Hillside Middle School, Northville

MINNESOTA
Cody DuBois, 7th Grade, Emerson Spanish Immersion Learning Center, Minneapolis

MISSISSIPPI
Mamadou Fadiga, 6th Grade, Hayes Cooper Center, Merigold

MISSOURI
Isaac Pasley, 8th Grade, West Junior High School, Columbia

MONTANA
Joseph Perea, 8th Grade, Lincoln County Home Educators, Eureka

NEBRASKA
Akshay Rajagopal, 6th Grade, Lux Middle School, Lincoln

NEVADA
Alexander Wade, 5th Grade, Sarah Winnemucca Elementary School, Reno

NEW HAMPSHIRE
Milan Sandhu, 8th Grade, Ross A. Lurgio Middle School, Bedford

NEW JERSEY
Christopher Deritis, 8th Grade, St. Rose Grammar School, Belmar

NEW MEXICO
Elijah Candelario, 8th Grade, Annunciation Catholic School, Albuquerque

NEW YORK
Jason Leehow, 8th Grade, Andries Hudde Middle School, Brooklyn

NORTH CAROLINA
Taylor Morris, 8th Grade, Charles D. Owen Middle School, Swannanoa

NORTH DAKOTA
Syed Hyder, 8th Grade, Wachter Middle School, Bismarck

OHIO
Jonathan Meckler, 8th Grade, Hawken School, Lyndhurst

OKLAHOMA
Nicholas Vandivort, 8th Grade, Carver Middle School, Tulsa

OREGON
Sam Flecker, 5th Grade, Ainsworth Elementary School, Portland

PACIFIC TERRITORIES
Vinni Orsini, Grade 8, Grace Christian Academy, Northern Mariana Islands

PENNSYLVANIA
Joey Zou, 8th Grade, Carson Middle School, Pittsburgh

PUERTO RICO
Sergio Mundo, Grade 8, Saint John's School, San Juan

RHODE ISLAND
Daniel Katz, 7th Grade, Jewish Community Day School, Providence

SOUTH CAROLINA
Justin Hunt, 7th Grade, Gettys Middle School, Easley

SOUTH DAKOTA
Changlin Ke, 8th Grade, George S. Mickelson Middle School, Brookings

TENNESSEE
Jake Simons, 7th Grade, Harding Academy, Nashville

TEXAS
Matthew Thomas, 6th Grader, Mary Martin Elementary School, Weatherford

UTAH
Kirk Earl, 8th Grade, Oak Canyon Junior High School, Lindon

VERMONT
Giovanni Fusco, 8th Grade, Bishop John A. Marshall School, Morrisville

VIRGINIA
Christopher Miller, 7th Grade, Blue Ridge Middle School, Purcellville

VIRGIN ISLANDS
Muta Abiff, Grade 8, Addelita Cancryn Junior High School, St. Thomas

WASHINGTON
Zachary Reshovsky, 8th Grade, Griffin Bay Parent Partner Program, Friday Harbor

WEST VIRGINIA
Sam McClung, 6th Grade, John Adams Middle School, Charleston

WISCONSIN
Christian Bakken, 8th Grade, Magellan Middle School, Appleton

WYOMING
Hunter Collins, 8th Grade, Jackson Hole Middle School, Jackson

TOP GEOGRAPHY STUDENTS TO TEST SKILLS AT STATE GEOGRAPHIC BEES ON APRIL 4

2008-03-21

WASHINGTON (March 21, 2008)—On Friday, April 4, student geography whizzes across the United States and U.S. territories will participate in state-level Geographic Bees, competing for spots in May's national competition. The Bee is organized by the National Geographic Society. This year's state sponsor is Plum Creek.

Up to 100 fourth- to eighth-graders in each of the 50 states, District of Columbia, U.S. territories and Department of Defense Dependents Schools have qualified for the state Bees. Each state winner will receive $100, a National Geographic globe and an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C., for the national finals on May 20-21 and the chance to be crowned 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 will receive $15,000 and $10,000 college scholarships.

John Fahey, president of the National Geographic Society, said, "In our constantly evolving world, geographic fluency is more important than ever in helping young people put events and places in context. National Geographic is committed to geography education and to helping young people understand and appreciate the world they live in, so that they can become informed and responsible caretakers of the planet."

"The Geographic Bee is truly an outstanding program that provides students a unique opportunity to better understand our world and the events happening around them," said Bob Jirsa, president, Plum Creek Foundation. "Education is one of the focal points of our Plum Creek Foundation, so we're genuinely pleased to expand our partnership with the National Geographic Society's Geographic Bee program to state Bees across the U.S."

The state Bees are the second level of the annual National Geographic Bee. The first level began last November with contests in almost 14,000 U.S. schools, in which millions of students participated.

The championship round of the National Geographic Bee — moderated by "Jeopardy!" quiz show host Alex Trebek for the 20th year — will be held at National Geographic's Washington, D.C., headquarters on Wednesday, May 21, and will air that day nationally on the National Geographic Channel. Produced by National Geographic Television, the finals also will be broadcast later on public television stations. Check local listings for viewing dates and times.

Visitors to the Bee section of the National Geographic Society Web site, www.nationalgeographic.com/geographicbee, can hone their geography skills by checking out the new GeoBee Challenge online game.

The National Geographic Society 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 problem is not yet resolved. A National Geographic-Roper Public Affairs 2006 Geographic Literacy Study showed that Americans aged 18 to 24 still had limited understanding of the world within and beyond our country's borders. Even after Hurricane Katrina, one-third could not locate Louisiana, and almost half could not locate Mississippi on a U.S. map. Only four out of 10 were able to find Iraq on a map of the Middle East.

About National Geographic
The National Geographic Society is one of the world's largest nonprofit scientific and educational organizations. Founded in 1888 to "increase and diffuse geographic knowledge," the Society works to inspire people to care about the planet. It reaches more than 300 million people worldwide each month through its official journal, National Geographic, and other magazines; National Geographic Channel; television documentaries; music; radio; films; books; DVDs; maps; school publishing programs; interactive media; and merchandise. National Geographic has funded more than 8,800 scientific research, conservation and exploration projects and supports an education program combating geographic illiteracy. For more information, visit www.nationalgeographic.com.
Based at National Geographic Society headquarters in Washington, D.C., the National Geographic Channel is a joint venture between National Geographic Television and FOX Cable Networks Group. It debuted to an initial 10 million homes in January 2001 and is currently available in 67 million U.S. homes.

About Plum Creek
Plum Creek is the largest and most geographically diverse private landowner in the nation, with more than 8 million acres of timberlands in major timber-producing regions of the United States and 10 wood products manufacturing facilities in the Northwest.

Note to Editors: Press resources on the Bee can be found at www.nationalgeographic.com/geographicbee and www.nationalgeographic.com/pressroom.

MEXICO TAKES GOLD AT NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

2007-08-09

SAN DIEGO (Aug. 9, 2007)--Unseating five-time champion the United States, Mexico triumphed at the eighth National Geographic World Championship held today at SeaWorld San Diego. The U.S. team came second, and Canada was third. Organized by the National Geographic Society, the competition was sponsored by SeaWorld and Busch Gardens Adventure Parks.

The Mexican team included Ángel Aliseda-Alonso, 16, of Zapopan, Jalisco; Carlos Elías Franco-Ruiz, 14, of Zapotlán de Juárez, Hidalgo; and Emanuel Johansen-Campos, 15, of Tejalpa, Morelos. This is the third National Geographic World Championship in which Mexico has participated.

The U.S. team members were Kelsey Schilperoort, 15, of Prescott, Ariz.; Neeraj Sirdeshmukh, 15, of Nashua, N.H.; and Matthew Vengalil, 15, of Grosse Pointe Shores, Mich.

The Canadian team comprised Marky Freeman, 14, of Thornhill, Ontario; Maxim Ralchenko, 13, of Nepean, Ontario; and Jonathan Whyte, 13, of Toronto, Ontario.

The winning question was: "What historic site was carved from sandstone in about
1200 B.C.? This site includes two huge temples and statues of an ancient ruler." Answer: Abu Simbel.

In an Olympics-style ceremony, medals were awarded to the first-, second- and third-placed teams. Alex Trebek, host of the U.S. television quiz show "Jeopardy!", moderated the finals.

Mexico, the United States and Canada qualified for the final round after obtaining the highest combined scores in a written contest on Monday and in Tuesday's preliminary activity that included an outdoor map-reading course at SeaWorld.

Students were eligible to take part in the World Championship competition by winning or being a top finisher in the national competitions of their home regions. The 14 other teams that competed this year were from Argentina, Australia, Bulgaria, Chinese Taipei, France, Germany, Ghana, Hungary, India, Poland, Romania, Russia, Singapore and United Kingdom.

John Fahey, president of the National Geographic Society, said the competition was a great way for talented young geographers around the world to match wits against each other and to enjoy a rewarding cross-cultural exchange. "The competition enhances international dialogue and understanding and promotes friendships around the globe," he added.

The National Geographic World Championship is held every two years. The first contest, held in London in 1993, was won by the United States, which beat teams from the United Kingdom and Russia. Australia, competing against four other teams, won the 1995 competition in Orlando, Fla. The third championship, held in 1997 at National Geographic headquarters in Washington, D.C., was won by Canada, which bested eight other teams. The United States won the fourth competition against 11 teams in Toronto, Canada, in 1999. The United Sates also took first place against 12 other teams in the 2001 contest in Vancouver, Canada; against 17 other teams at Busch Gardens, Fla., in 2003; and against 17 other teams in Budapest, Hungary, in 2005.

###

NOTE: Up-to-date information about the competition will be posted in the National
Geographic online press room at nationalgeographic.com/pressroom.

Photographs can be downloaded at FTP site http://ftp.nationalgeographic.com/pressroom/wrldgeobee. User name: press
Password: press

EPK of the National Geographic World Championship will be available:
Date: Thursday, Aug. 9
Time: 16:30 ET to 16:45 ET
Satellite: Galaxy 26 (formerly IA6) (C-Band)
Transponder: 17(V)
DL Frequency: 4040 MHz

National Geographic World Championship Final Round Media Advisory

2007-08-07

WHAT: Teams of students from Canada, Mexico and the United States have qualified for the final round of the National Geographic World Championship being held at SeaWorld San Diego this week. Alex Trebek, host of the U.S. television quiz show "Jeopardy!", will moderate. A total of 17 teams took part in two preliminary activities. Canada, Mexico and the United States gained the highest scores in the earlier rounds.

WHEN:
Final Round
9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. (approx.),
Thursday, Aug. 9
Media may enter at 8:30 a.m. (audio and video mult-box provided)

WHERE: Shamu Stadium, SeaWorld, San Diego**

** Media interested in covering events on SeaWorld property must call SeaWorld Public Relations to arrange entrance.

CONTACTS:
National Geographic Communications:
Ellen Siskind, esiskind@ngs.org, (202) 828-5650 (after 8/5 (301) 219-0769)

Bethanne Patrick, bpatrick@ngs.org, (202) 775-6190 (after 8/5 (703) 798-0468)

International Press: Sarah Clark, sclark@ngs.org, (202) 828-5664

SeaWorld Public Relations:
Kelly Terry, kelly.terry@seaworld.com, (619) 225-3241

NOTE: Up-to-date information about the competition will be posted in the National
Geographic online press room at nationalgeographic.com/pressroom.
Photographs can be downloaded at FTP site: http://ftp.nationalgeographic.com/pressroom/wrldgeobee/
User name: press
Password: press

EPK of the preliminary round held Tuesday, Aug. 7, is available:
Date: Tuesday, Aug. 7
Time: 14:30 PT to 14:45 PT
Satellite: Galaxy 26 (formerly IA6)(C-Band)
Transponder:17(V)
DL Frequency:4040 MHz
Audio: 6.2/6.8

EPK of the final round on Aug. 9, will be available:
Date:T hursday, Aug. 9
Time: 16:30 ET to 16:45 ET
Satellite: Galaxy 26 (formerly IA6)(C-Band)
Transponder: 17(V)
DL Frequency: 4040 MHz

###

NATION'S BRIGHTEST GEOGRAPHY WHIZ KIDS TO COMPETE FOR INTERNATIONAL TITLE

2007-08-01

WASHINGTON (Aug.1, 2007)--Three of the country's brightest geography students, who have excelled in the National Geographic Bee, will represent the United States at the eighth National Geographic World Championship from Aug. 5 to Aug.10 at SeaWorld San Diego. This year's international contest, which includes teams from 17 regions, is organized by the National Geographic Society and sponsored by SeaWorld and Busch Gardens Adventure Parks.

The U.S. team members, all 15-year-old 10th-graders, are Kelsey Schilperoort of Prescott High School in Prescott, Ariz.; Matthew Vengalil of Grosse Pointe North High School in Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich.; and Neeraj Sirdeshmukh of Nashua High School South in Nashua, N.H. To be eligible for the U.S team, students had to have finished in the top 10 of the National Geographic Bee in 2006 or 2007.

The United States, current world champion, will defend its title against teams from Argentina, Australia, Bulgaria, Canada, Chinese Taipei, France, Germany, Ghana, Hungary, India, Mexico, Poland, Romania, Russia, Singapore and the United Kingdom. The contestants will answer questions on physical, cultural and economic geography in two levels of competition.

On Sunday, Aug. 5, the students will arrive in San Diego. The teams will take a written test on Monday, Aug. 6, and explore some of the San Diego area; the following day they will battle each other in a challenging outdoor activity. On Wednesday, Aug. 8, they will visit Balboa Park and all of its attractions. The three teams with the highest scores from the written test and geography activity will meet at SeaWorld's Shamu Stadium for the championship finals on Thursday, Aug. 9. They will answer questions in a game-show format, moderated by Alex Trebek, host of the quiz show "Jeopardy!"

The National Geographic World Championship takes place every two years. The first contest, held in London in 1993, was won by the United States, which beat teams from the United Kingdom and Russia. The Australians, competing against four other teams, won the 1995 competition at Epcot at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Fla. The third championship, held in 1997 in Washington, D.C., was won by Canada, which bested teams from eight other regions. The fourth competition, held in Toronto, in 1999, was won by the United States, which also won the 2001 contest in Vancouver, the 2003 contest at Busch Gardens, Tampa Bay, Fla., and the 2005 contest in Budapest, Hungary.

"Promoting geography education is at the heart of the mission of the National Geographic Society," said John Fahey, Society president and CEO. "The National Geographic World Championship provides a forum for top geography students from all corners of the globe to pit their wits against each other to determine which team is the international geography champion. Each student gains knowledge of the other competing regions' cultures and becomes a better global citizen for the experience."

"We are honored to play host to the 2007 National Geographic World Championship
at SeaWorld San Diego," said Keith Kasen, president and chairman of the board of Busch Entertainment Corporation, parent company of SeaWorld and Busch Gardens. "Each year our parks welcome millions of guests from around the world. Those visitors experience up-close animal encounters that we hope inspire a lifelong appreciation for wildlife and the world we all share. This important geography competition brings much-deserved recognition to a diverse, extraordinary group of young people, while helping celebrate our shared world."

The National Geographic Society developed the National Geographic Bee in 1989 and the National Geographic World Championship in 1993 in response to concern about the lack of geographic knowledge among young people in the United States.

The National Geographic Society is one of the world's largest nonprofit scientific and educational organizations. Founded in 1888 to "increase and diffuse geographic knowledge," the Society works to inspire people to care about the planet. It reaches more than 300 million people worldwide each month through its official journal, National Geographic, and four other magazines; National Geographic Channel; television documentaries; radio programs; films; books; DVDs; maps; and interactive media. National Geographic has funded more than 8,000 scientific research projects and supports an education program combating geographic illiteracy. For more information, visit nationalgeographic.com.

SeaWorld Adventure Parks are in San Diego; Orlando, Fla.; and San Antonio. In addition to the SeaWorld Adventure Parks, St. Louis-based Busch Entertainment Corporation operates Busch Gardens Africa in Tampa Bay, Fla., and Busch Gardens Europe in Williamsburg, Va.; Adventure Island in Tampa Bay; Water Country USA in Williamsburg; Sesame Place near Philadelphia; and Discovery Cove in Orlando. The nine parks entertain more than 20 million guests a year and employ more than 15,000 people. Aquatica, SeaWorld's water park, is under construction in Orlando and is scheduled to open spring 2008.

Leaders in conservation and education, SeaWorld, Busch Gardens and Discovery Cove care for the largest animal collection in the world and offer an education Web site especially for students and teachers at www.seaworld.org. Information on the SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund is at www.swbg-conservationfund.org. General park information is found at www.seaworld.com.

NOTE: Up-to-date information about the National Geographic World Championship will be posted in the National Geographic online press room at nationalgeographic.com/pressroom.
Photographs can be downloaded at FTP site:
http://ftp.nationalgeographic.com/pressroom/wrldgeobee/
User name: press
Password: press

Electronic Press Kit of the National Geographic World Championship will be available:
Date:Thursday, Aug. 9
Time:16:30 ET to 16:45 ET
Satellite:Galaxy 26 (formerly IA6)
Transponder:17
DL Frequency4040 B-Band

###

National Geographic World Championship Media Advisory

2007-08-01

WHAT: The eighth National Geographic World Championship, a competition among 17 teams of student geography champions from around the globe. "Jeopardy!" host Alex Trebek will moderate the final round.

WHO: Teams from the 17 regions taking part comprise three participants each, ages 12 to 16, who qualified for the international contest by excelling in national geography competitions in their home regions.

WHEN/ WHERE: Preliminary Activity
9 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. PT, Tuesday, Aug. 7
Teams compete in an outdoor geography activity.
(Media may enter at 8 a.m.)
SeaWorld San Diego **

Final Round
9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. PT (approx.), Thursday, Aug. 9
The three teams with the highest scores from the two preliminary activities advance to the final competition to be held at SeaWorld.
(Media may enter at 8:30 a.m.; audio and video mult-box provided.)
Shamu Stadium, SeaWorld San Diego **

** Media interested in covering events on SeaWorld property must call SeaWorld Public Relations to arrange entrance.

CONTACTS:National Geographic Communications:
Ellen Siskind, esiskind@ngs.org, (202) 828-5650 (after 8/5 (301) 219-0769)
Bethanne Patrick, bpatrick@ngs.org, (202) 775-6190 (after 8/5 (703) 798-0468)
International Press: Sarah Clark, sclark@ngs.org, (202) 828-5664
SeaWorld Public Relations:
Kelly Terry, kelly.terry@seaworld.com, (619) 225-3241

NOTE: Up-to-date information about the competition will be posted in the National
Geographic online press room at nationalgeographic.com/pressroom.
Photographs can be downloaded at FTP site: http://ftp.nationalgeographic.com/pressroom/wrldgeobee/
User name: press
Password: press

EPK of the National Geographic World Championship will be available:
Date:Thursday, Aug. 9
Time:16:30 ET to 16:45 ET
Satellite:Galaxy 26 (formerly IA6)
Transponder:17
DL Frequency4040 B-Band
###

CAITLIN SNARING FROM WASHINGTON STATE WINS 2007 NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC BEE

2007-05-23

WASHINGTON (May 23, 2007)--Fourteen-year-old Caitlin Snaring, a homeschooled eighth-grader from Redmond, Wash., took top honors at the 2007 National Geographic Bee held in Washington, D.C., today. She won a $25,000 college scholarship and lifetime membership in the National Geographic Society.

Second-place winner was Suneil Iyer, 12, a seventh-grader at Indian Trail Junior High School in Olathe, Kan., who received a $15,000 college scholarship. Third place and a $10,000 college scholarship went to Mark Arildsen, a 13-year-old seventh-grader at the University School of Nashville, in Nashville, Tenn. The 2007 National Geographic Bee was sponsored by JPMorgan Chase.

The winning question was: A city that is divided by a river of the same name was the imperial capital of Vietnam for more than a century. Name this city, which is still an important cultural center. Answer: Hue

Caitlin is the second girl to win the Bee since it began in 1989. She is also the fifth student from Washington to win the Bee. Washington has produced more national winners than any other state.

Fifty-five state and territory winners took part in the preliminary rounds of the 2007 National Geographic Bee on Tuesday, May 22. The top 10 contestants met in today's final round, which was moderated by "Jeopardy!" host Alex Trebek. The seven other finalists were Andrew Lee of Alaska, Antonio de la Peña of Colorado, Benjamin Geyer of the District of Columbia, Solly Mayer of Kentucky, Tyler Bowen of Oklahoma, Francisco Vargas of Puerto Rico and Benjamin Taylor of West Virginia.

Nearly 5 million students take part in the National Geographic Bee each year.

Media Contacts:
First-place winner: Ellen Siskind, (202) 828-5650, esiskind@ngs.org
Second-place winner: Rebecca Penovich, (202) 775-6163, rpenovic@ngs.org
Third-place winner: Cindy Beidel, (202) 862-5286, cbeidel@ngs.org

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Media Advisory TEN FINALISTS QUALIFY FOR 2007 NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC BEE TITLE

2007-05-22

WHO/WHAT: The preliminary round of the 19th annual National Geographic Bee was held today, Tuesday, May 22. Ten finalists, from a field of 55 state-level winners, will compete in the May 23 final round to be held at the National Geographic Society in Washington, D.C.

The 10 finalists are:

- Andrew Lee, Alaska
- José de la Peña, Colorado
- Benjamin Geyer, District of Columbia
- Suneil Iyer, Kansas
- Solomon Mayer, Kentucky
- Tyler Bowen, Oklahoma
- Francisco Vargas, Puerto Rico
- Mark Arildsen, Tennessee
- Caitlin Snaring, Washington
- Benjamin Taylor, West Virginia

WHEN/WHERE: Wednesday, May 23
Doors open to the media8:10 a.m.
Doors close 9:30 a.m.
Competition 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.

National Geographic Society
Grosvenor Auditorium
1600 M Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C.

CONTACT: Ellen Siskind
(202) 828-5650; esiskind@ngs.org

Note to media: Downloadable photographs of the finalists, press release and general event information are available at
www.nationalgeographic.com/pressroom.

Names and photographs of the first-, second- and third-place winners will be posted by 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 23, at www.nationalgeographic.com/pressroom.

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MEDIA ADVISORY : 2007 National Geographic Bee

2007-05-10

WHAT:2007 National Geographic Bee
Top prize: $25,000 college scholarship

WHO: 55 state-level winners, ages 10 to 14, representing all 50 states, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Pacific Territories and Department of Defense Dependents schools

WHEN:Preliminary rounds --
10 a.m. Tuesday, May 22
(Preliminaries held in five different rooms; doors open for media at
8:15 a.m.; contest begins at 10 a.m.; audio mult-box provided)

Final and championship rounds --
Moderated by "Jeopardy!" host Alex Trebek
9:45 a.m. Wednesday, May 23
(Doors open to media at 8:15 a.m. and close at 9:30 a.m.; video and audio mult-box provided)

Both the preliminary and the final/championship rounds last approximately 60 minutes.

Contestants will be available for interviews directly after each competition.

WHERE:Preliminary rounds --
Doubletree Hotel Crystal City
300 Army Navy Drive
Arlington, Va.

Final and championship rounds --
Grosvenor Auditorium
National Geographic Society
1600 M Street N.W.
Washington, D.C.

CONTACT:Ellen Siskind
(202) 828-5650
esiskind@ngs.org

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