Benjamin Seavey, a seventh-grade student at Southwest Middle School, won the school-level competition of the National Geographic Bee on Jan. 10, 2012, and a chance at a $25,000 college scholarship. The school-level bee, at which students answered oral questions on geography, was the first round in the 23rd annual National Geographic Bee. This year’s bee is sponsored by Google. Other participants in the school-level finals included: Noah Wiese, Jens Lange, Kathryn Flaherty, Sean Brownlow, Jany Gash, Alec Wendleboe, Ian Wildeman, Sam Chalmers, Adam Nelson, Dominic Dreyling, Dylan Jansen, Anna Boettcher, Jonah Walker, Darren Guildner, Michael Bremer, Maddy Funk, Lukas Peterson, Tiffany Hallisy, Rudy Sanchez, Jarrod Guildner, Alana Skarstad, Michael Savelkoul, Chloe Stripe, Dedoch Chan, Ian Oolman, Cody Ball, Jessie Hernandez, Grace Van Brocklin, Austin Dulitz, Jake Noovak and Justin Dietz.

The kickoff for this year’s bee was the week of Nov. 14, 2011, with thousands of schools around the United States and in the five U.S. territories participating. The school winners, including Benjamin Seavey, will now take a written test; up to 100 of the top scores in each state will be eligible to compete in their state bee on March 30, 2012.

The National Geographic Society will provide an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C., for state champions and teacher-escorts to participate in the Bee national championship rounds on May 22-24, 2012. The first-place national winner will receive a $25,000 college scholarship, a lifetime membership in the Society, and a trip to the Galapagos Islands, courtesy of Lindblad Expeditions and National Geographic.

The National Geographic Society is one of the world’s largest nonprofit scientific and educational organizations. Founded in 1888 to “increase and diffuse geographic knowledge,” the Society’s mission is to inspire people to care about the planet. It reaches more than 400 million people worldwide each month through its official journal, National Geographic, and other magazines; National Geographic Channel; television documentaries; music; radio; films; books; DVDs; maps; exhibitions; live events; school publishing programs; interactive media; and merchandise.