The Media School and the School of Education will co-sponsor a regional Scripps spelling bee Saturday, February 10, according to an IU press release.
The competition, the IU Bee, will bring together students who won spelling bees at their schools in Brown, Greene, Monroe, Morgan and Owen Counties. Any student who has not yet completed eighth grade is eligible to participate in their school's competition.
"We always look forward to welcoming bright young students to the IU Bee," said Teresa White, high school journalism director and co-administrator of the competition, in the release. "The IU Bee is a memorable experience for these young academics, and this exercise in critical thinking will serve them throughout their lives."
The vocabulary portion of the regional bee consists of a written test, according to the release. Media School ambassadors and students from the School of Education’s dean advisory council help with setup for the event and with the vocabulary section.
The event is free and open to the public.
The Scripps National Spelling Bee’s goal is to help students improve their spelling, increase their vocabularies, learn concepts and develop correct English usage that will help them all their lives, according to the Scripps National Spelling Bee’s website.
The winner of the local competition Saturday will advance to the Scripps National Spelling Bee, which takes place May 27 to June 1 in National Harbor, Maryland. Tickets to the national events are free, according to Scripps National Spelling Bee's website.
The Media School and the School of Education will pay for the winning student’s trip, according to the release.
All spellers in the national bee will receive a Kindle Paperwhite and a commemorative cover; Webster's Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged; The Samuel Louis Sugarman Award — a 2016 United States Mint Proof Set; and a one-year membership to Britannica Online Premium, according to Scripps National Spelling Bee's website.
This year marks the Scripps National Spelling Bee’s 90th anniversary and the seventh year IU departments are co-sponsoring the regional competition.
The Herald-Times and the Reporter-Times in Martinsville, Indiana, co-sponsored the bee from 2004 until 2011, according to the Media School’s website.
