Tristan Sienkiewicz, an eighth-grade student at Hawaii Preparatory Academy, won the Dec. 11 school-level competition of the National Geographic Bee and a chance at a $25,000 college scholarship.
Tristan Sienkiewicz, an eighth-grade student at Hawaii Preparatory Academy, won the Dec. 11 school-level competition of the National Geographic Bee and a chance at a $25,000 college scholarship.
Classmate Braden Kojima placed second at the school-level bee, where students answered oral questions on geography. This was the first round in the 25th annual National Geographic Bee. This year’s Bee is sponsored by Google.
The kickoff for this year’s Bee was the week of Nov. 12, with thousands of schools around the United States and in the five U.S. territories participating.
Each of the school winners, including Sienkiewicz, will now take a written test. Up to 100 of the top scorers on that test in each state will then be eligible to compete in their respective state Bees on April 5. The National Geographic Society will provide an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C., for state champions and teacher-escorts to participate in the national championship rounds May 20-22.
The first-place national winner will receive a $25,000 college scholarship, a lifetime membership in the society and a trip to the Galapagos Islands, courtesy of Lindblad Expeditions and National Geographic.
“Jeopardy!” host Alex Trebek will moderate the televised national finals on May 22. 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’s mission is to inspire people to care about the planet. It reaches more than 400 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 10,000 scientific research, conservation and exploration projects and supports an education program promoting geographic literacy. For more information, visit www.nationalgeographic.com.