| National Geographic GeoBee | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Status | Discontinued (2021) |
| Genre | Geography bee |
| Frequency | Annual (late May) |
| Location(s) | Washington, D.C. |
| Years active | 32 |
| Inaugurated | 1989 |
| Most recent | 2019 |
| Participants | 2.4 million (as of the 2019 Bee) |
| Patron(s) | National Geographic Society |
| Website | www.nationalgeographic.org/bee |
The National Geographic GeoBee (called the National Geographic Bee from 2001 to 2018,[1] also referred to as the Nat Geo Bee) was an annual geography contest sponsored by the National Geographic Society. The bee, held annually from 1989 to 2019, was open to students in the fourth through eighth grades in participating schools from the United States.[2]
The entities represented at the national level came from all fifty U.S. states, all the territories, the Department of Defense Dependents Schools (DoDDS), and the District of Columbia.
The National Geographic Bee Finals were moderated by Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek for its first 25 years (1989–2013). At the 2013 National Geographic Bee, Trebek announced that 2013 would be his last year hosting the Finals. Newscaster Soledad O'Brien took his place the following year, moderating the bee in 2014 and 2015. O'Brien was then replaced by Mo Rocca, who would host from 2016 to the final competition in 2019.
In 2020, the Bee was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[3] The 2021 edition was also canceled after a 75 percent drop in school registrations.[4] The National Geographic Society later announced that the Bee had been "permanently discontinue[d]... to make way for new, transformative, and innovative geography education opportunities in which students around the globe can more equitably participate."[5]
- ^ Society, National Geographic. "GeoBee". www.nationalgeographic.org.
- ^ "National Geographic Bee - National Geographic". National Geographic Society. Archived from the original on 2015-03-20. Retrieved 2015-03-20.
- ^ "UPDATE ON THE 2020 GEOBEE". National Geographic. n.d. Retrieved April 4, 2020.
- ^ Phillips, Vicki (September 24, 2020). "Update from the National Geographic Society on the 2020-2021 GeoBee". National Geographic Society. Archived from the original on February 28, 2024. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
- ^ "National Geographic GeoBee". National Geographic Society. Archived from the original on March 25, 2024. Retrieved March 25, 2024.