HARRELLS — In January, Harrells Christian Academy held its 24th annual National Geographic Bee competition. The event featured 11 students from HCA, ranging from fourth to eighth grade, competing in a quiz style format with questions provided by the National Geographic Society.
After multiple rounds of questions, sixth-grader Evan Boussias of Elizabethtown was declared the champion. Evan had to navigate map-based questions as well as oral and written responses to topics that spanned the globe. After winning the school competition, Evan took a written test to earn a spot in the North Carolina state competition this March.
This finals competition was the culmination of a program that begins in each social studies classroom. Students in grades four through eight compete against their classmates, and the highest scores move on to the school finals.
Harrells’ Media Center Director Joy Usher, who coordinates the Bee for the school, believes in its curricular importance.
“All people need to be aware of the importance of the world and the countries around them,” she said. “It is essential for students to understand the physical world, so they can grow to be good global citizens,” says Usher.
The National Geographic Bee is an annual competition organized by the National Geographic Society, designed to inspire and reward students’ curiosity about the world. Students in grades four through eight from 10,000 schools across the United States will compete in the 2018 National Geographic Bee for a chance to win college scholarships and the glory of being the National Geographic Bee champion.