Lance Burrows, a fifth grader at Stevensville Middle School, has been notified by the National Geographic Society that he is one of the semifinalists eligible to compete in the 2017 Montana National Geographic State Bee. The contest will be held at the University of Montana on Friday, March 31.
Each year thousands of schools in the United States participate in the National Geographic Bee using materials prepared by the National Geographic Society. The contest is designed to encourage teachers to include geography in their classrooms, spark student interest in the subject, and increase public awareness about geography.
This is the second level of the National Geographic Bee competition, which is now in its 29th year. School Bees were held in schools with fourth through eighth grade students throughout the state to determine each school champion. School champions then took a qualifying test, which they submitted to the National Geographic Society. The National Geographic Society has invited up to 100 of the top scoring students in each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Department of Defense Dependents Schools and U.S. territories to compete in the State Bees.
Each state champion will receive $100, the National Geographic Concise Atlas of the World, 4th edition, and a trip to Washington D.C. to represent their state in the national championship to be held at the National Geographic Society headquarters, May 14-17, 2017. The national champion will receive a $50,000 college scholarship, a lifetime membership in the Society, including a subscription to the National Geographic magazine, and an all-expenses paid Lindland expedition to the Galapagos Islands aboard the new National Geographic Endeavor II. Travel is provided.
The National Geographic Channel and Nat Geo WILD will air the 2017 National Geographic Bee Championship, moderated by journalist and humorist Mo Rocca, on Friday, May 19, at 8 p.m. ET. Public television stations will broadcast the final rounds at a later date.