ABERDEEN, S.D. — Owen Fink, a seventh grader from Bridgewater-Emery School, took top honors at the 2018 South Dakota National Geographic Bee held today at Northern State University in Aberdeen.
This is Owen’s third year as state champion. The state champion will receive $200, the National Geographic Visual Atlas of the World, 2nd edition, and a trip to Washington, D.C., to represent South Dakota in the National Geographic Bee Championship to be held at National Geographic Society headquarters, May 23, 2018.
Ryan Presler of Brandon Valley Middle School in Brandon Valley won second place and $150, and Kade Conner of McIntosh School in McIntosh won third place and $100. Up to 100 fourth to eighth graders in each of the 50 states, District of Columbia, Atlantic and Pacific territories and Department of Defense Dependents Schools took part in today’s State Bees.
The national champion will receive a $50,000 college scholarship, a lifetime membership in the Society, including a subscription to National Geographic magazine, and an all-expenses-paid Lindblad expedition to the Galápagos Islands aboard the new National Geographic Endeavour ll. Travel for the trip is provided by Lindblad Expeditions and National Geographic. Second- and third-place finishers will receive $25,000 and $10,000 college scholarships, respectively.
The national championship preliminary rounds will take place on Sunday, May 20, and Monday, May 21. The national championship final rounds featuring the top 10 finalists will be held on Wednesday, May 23, at National Geographic’s Washington, D.C., headquarters and will be moderated by humorist and journalist Mo Rocca. National Geographic will stream the final round of the National Geographic Bee Championship starting at 9 a.m. on May 24, 2018, at www.natgeobee.org.
Everyone can test their geography knowledge with the exciting Geo Bee Quiz, an online geography quiz at www.nationalgeographic.org/bee/study/quiz, which poses 10 new questions a day. The National Geographic Geo Quiz on Amazon's Alexa, the Nat Geo Bee quiz on Google Action and the GeoBee Challenge app are also available free for iOS and Android users. In honor of the 30th year of the Bee, National Geographic has also published an updated National Geographic Bee book, “How to Ace the National Geographic Bee: Official Study Guide, 5th Edition,” by Stephen Cunha.
About the National Geographic Society
The National Geographic Society is a leading nonprofit that invests in bold people and transformative ideas in the fields of exploration, scientific research, storytelling and education. We support educators to ensure that the next generation is armed with geographic knowledge and global understanding. We aspire to create a community of change, advancing key insights about our planet and probing some of the most pressing scientific questions of our time. Our goal is measurable impact: furthering exploration and educating people around the world to inspire solutions for the greater good. For more information, visit www.nationalgeographic.org.
About Northern State University
Northern State University is a regional university that offers outstanding academics and exceptional extracurricular activities at an affordable price on a safe, welcoming campus. Northern State recently announced its Educational Impact Campaign, with a goal of raising $45 million for a new South Dakota School for the Blind and Visually Impaired, new athletic and recreation fields, and an on-campus regional sports complex. Once the campaign is complete, NSU will be the recipient of more than $100 million in privately funded building projects and scholarships within a decade. To learn more, visit NSU Admissions.