Nine students from St. Mary Catholic Community School in Crown Point participated in the school competition of the National Geographic GeoBee on January 30, 2020. Elicia Cruz, a 7th grade student, won first place, with Andy Parent, a 7th grade student, winning second place and Kailana Urbanek, a 4th grade student, finishing third place.
The school competition is the first round in the annual National Geographic GeoBee, a geography competition designed to inspire and reward students’ curiosity about the world. Questions cover not only geography, but also ancient and world civilizations, cultures, and physical features.
The national Geographic Society developed the Geobee in 1989 in response to concern about the lack of geographic knowledge among young people in the United States. Over more than three decades, more than 120 million students have learned about the world through participation in the GeoBee.
School champions, including Elicia Cruz, will take an online qualifying test; up to 100 of the top test scorers in each state then become eligible to compete in their State Geobee. The winners of the State GeoBees receive an all-expenses-paid trip to participate in the GeoBee national championship in Spring 2020. Students will be competing for cash prizes, scholarships and an all-expenses-paid Lindblad expedition to the Galapagos islands aboard the National Geographic Endeavour II. Learn more at www.natgeobee.org .
In addition to the GeoBee, National Geographic also offers classroom resources, student experiences and professional development opportunities for educators.
St. Mary Catholic Community School in Crown Point was opened in 1872. The school offers grade levels Junior Pre-Kindergarten (for three-year-olds) through eight and is the largest grade school in the Diocese of Gary. St. Mary’s faculty teaches a rich curriculum supported by leading-edge technology. Throughout the year, students are invited to participate in fun activities including a three on three basketball tournament, dodgeball tournament, the annual ride your bike to school day, and more. St. Mary’s will begin accepting new students for the 2020-2021 school year on Thursday, February 13th. To learn more about St. Mary’s School or schedule a tour, call 663-0676 or visit stmarycp.org/school.