With over 3 million students participating every year since 1989, the National Geographic Bee is a competition which challenges the global awareness of everyone who competes. There are four levels, and the rewards for victory simply become more generous as one proceeds through them.
More information about the Bee can be found on its website:
nationalgeographic.org/bee
The 2017 National Geographic Bee may be watched below.
- School Level Bee - Every school that registers holds a competition. There are seven preliminary rounds, and at the end of them only ten people remain to compete in the finals competition. The finals competition slashes the number of participants competing to three, then to two through intensive questions that truly show your understanding of the world - then begins the championship round. This championship is three questions, and determines the champion of the school.
- Qualifying Test - A single venue would not be able to hold all of the school champions. Hence why there is a qualifying test. With around seventy questions and a short response, every school champion takes this in a digital form. Only the top 100 in each state get to proceed.
- State Level Bee - The questions here are considerably more challenging, but the structure is the same as the school level Bee. The winner of the state bee receives $100 and an all expenses paid trip to the nation's capital for the next level.
- National Level Bee - The questions challenge your awareness. They are daunting. Still functions the same as the previous levels, however. All the top-ten finalists get $1,000 in cash. The top three scholarships are: $50,000 (1st place), $25,000 (2nd place), and $10,000 (3rd place). The national champion of the National Geographic Bee also receives a lifetime subscription to the National Geographic magazine and a free trip to the Galapagos Islands.
More information about the Bee can be found on its website:
nationalgeographic.org/bee
The 2017 National Geographic Bee may be watched below.