Students from Stevens Brook Elementary School in Bridgton, Songo Locks Elementary School in Naples and Sebago Elementary participated in the school competition of the National Geographic GeoBee earlier this month.

Daniel Jaronczyk, a Grade 5 student, won first place at SBES with Jack Butler, a Grade 5 student, winning second place and Oscar LaBel, a Grade 4 student, finishing in third place.

Caleb Otte, a Grade 5 student from Casco, won first place at SLS. The runner-up was David Boos of Casco. Other contestants included Mitchell White, Trinnidy Bradley, Orrin Moyes, Torin Parritt and Tanner Burnell. “The competition was a close one, and Caleb and David went into an extra round to decide the final champ,” said contest overseer Joe Gabarro. “All of the contestants worked hard at studying for the competition and performed great.”

Joe Gasbarro

Dylan Smith, a Grade 5 student, won first place at Sebago Elementary with Brooke Randall, a fifth-grade student, winning second place and Jack Nason, a fourth-grade student, finishing in third place. Resident history buff Allen Crabtree was the moderator, who had some very challenging questions to navigate.

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. 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. Over more than three decades, more than 120 million students have learned about the world through participation in the GeoBee. 

School champions 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. 

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 three million students each year through education offerings, and engaging audiences around the globe through signature convenings and content.