Local students compete in National Geographic GeoBee

This Hood River Middle tradition is organized by eighth grade teacher Ann McDonald. This year’s emcee was seventh grade teacher Lisa Rust.

Kate Siekkinen, eighth grade, won first place, with Poppy Clegg, eighth grade, winning second place. The students battled it on-stage in the Championships in front of several hundred of their fellow students.

The school competition is the first round in the annual National Geographic GeoBee, a geography competition designed to inspire and reward students’ curiosity about the world, according to a press release. Questions cover not only geography, but also ancient and world civilizations, cultures, and physical features. The National Geographic Society developed the GeoBee in 1989 in response to concern about the lack of geographic knowledge among young people in the United States. For more than three decades, more than 120 million students have learned about the world through participation in the GeoBee. School champions, including Siekkinen, will take an online qualifying test; up to 100 of the top test scorers in each state then become eligible to compete in their State GeoBee.

The winners of the State GeoBees receive an all-expenses-paid trip to participate in the GeoBee national championship in Spring 2020. Students will be competing for cash prizes, scholarships and an all-expenses-paid Lindblad expedition to the Galápagos Islands aboard the National Geographic Endeavour II. Learn more at www.natgeobee.org. In addition to the GeoBee, National Geographic also offers classroom resources, student experiences and professional development opportunities for educators.

About the National Geographic Society

The National Geographic Society is a global nonprofit organization that uses the power of science, exploration, education and storytelling to illuminate the wonder of the world, define critical challenges and catalyze action to protect our planet. Since 1888, National Geographic has pushed the boundaries of exploration, investing in bold people and transformative ideas, providing more than 14,000 grants for work across all seven continents, reaching 3 million students each year through education offerings, and engaging audiences around the globe through signature convenings and content. To learn more, visit www.nationalgeographic.org or follow the organization on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.