The annual NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC BEE returns for the 20th consecutive year with host/moderator Alex Trebek. Students representing all 50 states first compete in school and state level competitions with ten finalists, grades four through eight, moving onto the final championship. The ten finalists will compete for $50,000 in college scholarship prizes, answering questions on topics spanning meteorology, international affairs, culture and social history.

Each year thousands of schools in the United States participate in the National Geographic Bee using materials prepared by the National Geographic Society. The contest is designed to encourage teachers to include geography in their classrooms, spark student interest in the subject, and increase public awareness about geography.