The results are in! The National Geographic Society recently named the following Elkhorn Public Schools’ students as semifinalists eligible to compete in the 2020 National Geographic GeoBee State Competition:
- Maxim Bhatt, Sagewood Elementary
- Jayden Blank-Jimenez, Elkhorn Middle School
- Sebastian Goeller, West Bay Elementary;
- Ryan Mensch, Elkhorn Grandview Middle School;
- Brennan Schafer, Elkhorn Valley View Middle School;
- Drake Walling, Skyline Elementary;
- Rachel Wu, Elkhorn Ridge Middle School
The contest will be held via an online-proctored exam on Friday, March 27, 2020.
This is the second level of the National Geographic GeoBee competition, which is now in its 32nd year. To determine each school champion, GeoBee competitions were held in schools throughout the state with students in the fourth through eighth grades. School champions also took an online qualifying test, which they submitted to the National Geographic Society. Up to 100 of the top-scoring students in each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Department of Defense Dependents Schools and U.S. territories were invited to compete in the State GeoBees.
State champions will receive a medal, $1,000 in cash, and other prizes, as well as a trip to Washington, D.C., to represent their state in the National Championship on May 18-21 where they will compete for additional cash, awards and college scholarships. The second- and third-place State GeoBee winners will receive cash awards of $300 and $100, respectively.