________________________________________________________________________________ National Geographic Society Named Two SPS Students Semi-Finalists in the 2015 Connecticut National Geographic State Bee Alexander Mcleod from Scofield Magnet Middle School and Arjun Anand from Newfield Elementary Move to Next Round FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 18, 2015 Stamford, Conn.-- National Geographic Society recently named Alexander Mcleod from Scofield Magnet Middle and Arjun Anand from Newfield Elementary as semifinalists eligible to compete in the 2015 Connecticut National Geographic State Bee, which is sponsored by Google and Plum Creek. The contest will be held at Central Connecticut State University on Friday, March 27, 2015. This is the second level of the National Geographic Bee competition, which is now in its 27th year. Students in grades four through eight participated in School Bees throughout the state to determine each school champion. The school champions were then required to take a qualifying test, which was submitted to the National Geographic Society. The National Geographic Society invited up to 100 of the top-scoring students in each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, the Department of Defense Dependents Schools, and U.S. territories to compete in the state Bees. Each state champion will receive $100, the “National Geographic Atlas of the World, 10th Edition,” a medal, and a trip to Washington, D.C., to represent their state in the National Geographic Bee Championship. The Championship is scheduled to be held at National Geographic Society headquarters, from May 11 through 13, 2015. The national champion will receive a $50,000 college scholarship and lifetime membership in the Society. According to the Society, the national champion will also travel (along with one parent or guardian), all expenses paid, to the Galápagos Islands, where he/she will experience geography firsthand through up-close encounters with the islands’ unique wildlife and landscapes. Travel for the trip is provided by Lindblad Expeditions and National Geographic. For more information on the National Geographic Bee, visit www.nationalgeographic.com/geobee. -more- National Geographic Channel and Nat Geo WILD will air the 2015 National Geographic Bee Championship final round, moderated by award-winning journalist Soledad O’Brien, on Friday, May 15, at 8 p.m. ET. ### Stamford Public Schools (SPS) comprises more than 16,100 students, over 1,500 professionals, and 20 schools, including six magnet and two International Baccalaureate schools. SPS has a total of 12 elementary schools, five middle schools and three high schools. The mission of SPS is to prepare each and every student for higher education and success in the 21st century. SPS is proud that our district is as rich in diversity as it is in talent. We have students from many cultural backgrounds and geographic locations—as demonstrated by the more than 65 different languages spoken in the homes of our families. SPS offers our students a learning experience rich in cultural diversity and reflective of the global society in which they will work and live. With a mission to inspire, illuminate and teach, the National Geographic Society is one of the world’s largest nonprofit scientific and educational organizations. The member-supported Society, which believes in the power of science, exploration and storytelling to change the world, reaches over 600 million people each month through its media platforms, products and events. National Geographic has funded more than 11,000 research, conservation and exploration projects, and its education programs promote geographic literacy. For more information, visit www.nationalgeographic.com. MEDIA CONTACTS: Sharon Beadle Stamford Public Schools 203-977-4095 [email protected] Kelsey Flora National Geographic 202-828-8023 [email protected] Farley Fitzgerald 202-775-6119 [email protected] .