UNC Charlotte Hosts State Geographic Bee, Coordinated by Geography & Earth Sciences
By Tom Quinn
A subspecies of brown bear known as the Kodiak bear takes its common name from an island that lies off the southern coast of what state? Just ask one of the 100 4th-8th grade students competing on Friday, April 5 in the 2013 North Carolina Geographic Bee on UNC Charlotte’s campus; chances are they will know the answer is Alaska.
UNC Charlotte is hosting the top geography students from across North Carolina for the state-level geographic bee. Participants are competing for a slot in the 25th annual National Geographic Bee, to be hosted by television gameshow host Alex Trebek on May 22 in Washington, D.C. The state winner also will receive $100 and the “Complete National Geographic on DVD,” and will visit National Geographic’s headquarters.
Schools across the state in the fall held challenging bees to decide who would participate in the statewide bee. Google co-sponsors the national bee with National Geographic, and Plum Creek co-sponsors the statewide bees.
“The statewide contest is designed to encourage teachers to include geography in their classrooms, spark student interest in the subject, and increase public awareness about geography,” said Jamie Strickland, UNC Charlotte’s Geography & Earth Sciences faculty member who coordinates the bee with the help of others in the department, including students.
It is fitting that North Carolina’s young geographic elites are vying in a competition hosted by a geography and earth sciences department that is recognized nationally for its excellence.
The 1st place national winner will receive a $25,000 college scholarship and lifetime membership in the National Geographic Society. The national winner will also travel, along with a parent or guardian, to the Galapagos Islands to experience geography firsthand.