About NSF Geography Bee Contest 2009

Information taken from www.northsouth.org (For latest updatePlease check their website)

Geography Bee is intended to supplement the geography instruction they receive in their schools including Indian geography and to help the students in preparing for National Geographic bee too, which is a nation wide competition for US schools, every year.

The main purpose of this contest is to encourage our children to study Geography and be aware of the importance of Geography in the context of current events. Also NSF Geography bee has a small section devoted to Indian Geography, and history.

We all should learn not only where current events are occurring, but also why they are taking place and how they will impact on our lives. The knowledge of different people and places is a necessity for every individual. This makes one a better citizen. Geography has greater impact in understanding international relations, economy, history, environment and its evolution, etc.
The contests are conducted every year in two steps. First, children participate in a regional contest, conducted in various states throughout USA. Qualified winners of the regional contests are invited to participate in the National Finals. The 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners from each contest at the Nationals are awarded scholarships of $1,000, $500, and $250 respectively, redeemable in the winners' freshman year of college.

The Geography bee is open to children of Indian origin in grades 1 to 8. Younger children are encouraged to participate, on equal basis, solely with the aim of familiarizing them with the contest.

Geography Bee is split into 2 levels based on grade. The grade eligibility is calculated as of February 1.

In addition to all the general contest rules (http://www.northsouth.org/uscontests/2009reg/contestRules.asp) stated by North South Foundation, the following rules are applicable for the 2009 Geography Bee Competition.
There are 2 levels of competition for Geography Bee:

JGB (Junior Geography Bee): Grades 1, 2 and 3

SGB (Senior Geography Bee): Grades 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8

A 1st rank winner at the National Finals of the North South Foundation Senior Geography contest is not eligible for competing in this and future Geography contests conducted by the Foundation (National winners of junior geography bee can participate in the senior geography bee.) A contestant who participated in a higher level bee cannot participate in a lower level bee in subsequent years.
Geography bees (JGB and SGB) are held in two phases: Phase I (written) and Phase II (oral). Parents are not allowed in Phase I. They may be allowed in Phase II at the discretion of the judges, if the space permits.
Phase I (written):
Phase I is a written test with 35 questions. All contestants will get the same 35 questions. (Please note that questions 1-30 in Phase I will count toward the total score of 35 while the score from questions 31-35 will be considered in case of a tie - please see tiebreaker rule below).
Unclear and illegible writing might be open for misinterpretation. So, contestants are expected to write clearly and legibly. The decision of the judges is final.
There will NOT be any partial credits. There will be NO negative points for any incorrect answer. The contestant will be awarded one point for the correct answer and zero for an incorrect answer.
All Phase I sheets shall be returned at the end of the contest. All contestants will advance to Phase II (oral round).
Phase II (oral):
Phase II contains 5 oral rounds.
During this phase, the pronouncer announces the question. The contestant is not allowed to ask the judges any information on the question. The contestant is allowed 30 seconds to provide his/her choice of the answer. The judges may award zero points to any contestant who ignores a request to start giving an answer.
During each of the five rounds, each contestant gets a new question from the list. If a contestant gives an incorrect answer, the judges provide the correct answer. The next contestant will be given a new question from the list.
The contestant will be awarded one point for the correct answer and zero for an incorrect answer.
Winners and Ranks:
Based on the combined scores of Phase I (questions 1-30 only) & II, the judges will determine the winners. The 1st place winner shall be ahead by at least one point to be declared as the champion. In announcing the ranks 1st, 2nd, and 3rd, the judges will follow these rules:
Announce Ranks 1, 2 and 3, if and only if there are at least 10 contestants;
Announce Ranks 1 and 2 ONLY, if there are 8 or 9 contestants;
Announce Rank 1 ONLY, if there are 5-7 contestants;
DO NOT announce any ranks if there are less than 5 contestants.
Tiebreaker Rules:
The tiebreaker rules apply ONLY if there are at least 5 or more contestants participating in a given center and at the discretion of the judges/regional coordinator.
After tabulation of scores (out of a total of 35) from Ph I (questions 1-30) and Ph II (5 questions), if there is a tie, the scheme outlined below is followed in the order given, to break the ties,:
Phase I score (among questions 1-30) alone
Phase I score among questions 11-15
Phase I score among questions 16-20
Phase I score among questions 21-25
Phase 1 score among questions 26-30
Phase 1 score among questions 31-35
If the above steps fail to break the tie in question, the foundation may use additional measures to resolve them or award joint ranks.
Invitation to National Finals:
Invitation to National Finals is based on the relative scores [Phase I (question 1-30 only) and Phase II] of all the contestants nationally and is not based on a direct correlation of ranks achieved by a contestant in a regional contest. Thus, the combined Phase I & II score of each contestant relative to all such scores around the country will determine whether the contestant will be invited to the National Finals. The regional tiebreakers are only helpful in determining the winners for a particular center, but have no bearing on the Finals invitation.
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About NSF:

North South Foundation (NSF) is a non-profit voluntary organization that awards scholarships to qualified and needy students in India entering colleges regardless of religion, gender, caste or creed. The Scholarship program in India is designed to encourage excellence among the poor. It is targeted at qualified, needy students entering college. Over 2,500 scholarships have been awarded to date. Each scholarship is $250 per student per year.

Educational contests in the US are designed to encourage academic excellence among Indo-American children. The NSF spelling, vocabulary, math, essay writing, public speaking and geography bees are conducted annually in two steps. Children initially participate in regional contests. Winners of these contests are invited for the national finals. National top rankers are awarded scholarships ranging from $1,000 to $250, redeemable in the winners’ freshman year of college. There are more than 65 centers in the US and Canada.

For contest registration: http://www.northsouth.org/uscontests/2009reg/contest_home.asp

Austin NSF contact:
For more info go to http://www.northsouth.org/uscontests/2009reg/calendar.asp?state=TX
and/or contact Geeta Balakrishnan [Phone: 512-244-3696; email: Geetabal@gmail.com]

Good luck to you all.