Local Student Named Minnesota National Geographic State Bee Semifinalist by National Geographic Society

2016 Minnesota National Geographic State Bee Semifinalist Press Release

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Local Student Named Minnesota National Geographic State Bee Semifinalist by National Geographic Society

Student’s Name: Cole Tonn
Parents’ Names: Matthew and Melissa Tonn
School Name and Address: Lester Prairie Public School, 131 Hickory Street North, Lester Prairie, MN 55354

Grade Level: Grade 8

The above-named student has been notified by the National Geographic Society that he is one of the semifinalists eligible to compete in the 2016 Minnesota National Geographic State Bee. The contest will be held at the Atwood Center on the campus of St. Cloud State University on Friday, April 1, 2016.

This is the second level of the National Geographic Bee competition, which is now in its 28th year. School Bees were held in schools with fourth- through eighth-grade students throughout the state to determine each school champion. School champions then took an online qualifying test. The National Geographic Society has invited up to 100 of the top-scoring students in each of the 50 states, District of Columbia, Department of Defense Dependents Schools and U.S. territories to compete in the state Bees.

Each state champion will receive $100, the National Geographic book “The National Parks: An Illustrated History” and a medal, and will journey to Washington, D.C., to represent their state in the National Geographic Bee Championship at National Geographic Society headquarters, May 22-25, 2016. The national champion will receive a $50,000 college scholarship and lifetime membership in the National Geographic Society. The national champion will also travel (along with one parent or guardian), all expenses paid, on a Lindblad expedition to Southeast Alaska aboard National Geographic Sea Lion, including Glacier Bay National Park, in recognition of the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service. Travel for the trip is provided by Lindblad Expeditions and National Geographic. Visit www.natgeobee.org for more information on the National Geographic Bee.

The 2016 National Geographic Bee Championship final round, moderated for the first time by journalist and humorist Mo Rocca, will air on the National Geographic Channel and Nat Geo WILD on Friday, May 27, at 8 p.m. ET, and later on public television stations. Check local television listings for air date and time in your area.

How would you fare as a Bee contestant? At the school Bees this year, students had to answer such questions as:

To fish in Lake Winnipesaukee [wi-neh-peh-SAW-kee] and ski near Franconia Notch, you would travel to which state—New Hampshire or South Dakota?

New Hampshire

Visitors to Biscayne National Park in Florida can go fishing and lobstering along the shore of which kind of habitat—mangrove or desert?

Mangrove

Sea kayakers can explore hundreds of islands off the Dalmatian coast of which European country south of Slovenia?

Croatia

For centuries, the Chinese emperors lived in seclusion in the Forbidden City, which is located within what present-day city?

Beijing

MEDIA NOTE: Prior to the state finals on April 1, press materials with additional information about the state- and national-level contests will be posted at http://press.nationalgeographic.com/geo-bee/. To be notified when these materials are available, or for other inquiries, contact Kelsey Flora (kflora@ngs.org / 202-828-8023) with the National Geographic Society Communications office.

You may also contact the State Bee coordinator, Kerri Westgard at mngeobee@hotmail.com for additional information.

ABOUT THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY

National Geographic is a global nonprofit membership organization driven by a passionate belief in the power of science, exploration and storytelling to change the world. We fund hundreds of research and conservation projects around the globe each year. With the support of our members and donors, we work to inspire, illuminate and teach through scientific expeditions, award-winning journalism, education initiatives and more. For more information, visit www.nationalgeographic.org.