(L to R) Blendon Middle School Principal Kendall Harris congratulates student Khalid Guled on being named a semifinalist who is now eligible to compete in this year’s GeoBee State Competition.
The National Geographic Society named Khalid Guled, a sixth-grade student at Blendon Middle School, as one of the semifinalists eligible to compete in the 2020 National Geographic GeoBee State Competition.
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. This year, an estimated 2.4 million students competed in the GeoBee, with 8,661 students becoming school champions. 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. They also compete at the national level for additional cash, awards and college scholarships. The second- and third-place State GeoBee winners will receive cash awards of $300 and $100, respectively.