Local sponsors are the lifeblood of the Scripps National Spelling Bee. They are media outlets, universities, businesses and community organizations that work with the Bee to support schools in their local area. These organizations work with teachers and administrators to ensure school bees run smoothly, put the necessary time and effort into running final local bees, and act as a resource for national finalists and their families in the weeks leading up to Bee Week. In the "Program Spotlight," we recognize these sponsors and the great impact that they have on communities across the country.
Sponsoring a Scripps National Spelling Bee champion is a proud accomplishment for any local program, and The Olathe News knows a little something about sending champions to the national finals. In 2009, Kavya Shivashankar represented The Olathe News when she won the Bee, and her sister Vanya Shivashakar was sponsored by the same newspaper six years later when she correctly spelled "scherenschnitte" to became a co-champion.
Grace Hobson, editor of The Olathe News, said, "We are proud to sponsor an academic challenge that brings the community together. Watching our winners compete — and win — at the national level has been a source of great pride for The Olathe News. To have two winners, Vanya Shivashakar in 2015 and her sister, Kavya, in 2009, is a phenomenal record and we are thrilled to be a part of it."
The Olathe News is a local paper that is committed to its area school districts, and Hobson expressed that the paper loves "being a part of such a rich community tradition — and a tradition of excellence." There are 45 elementary and middle schools that participate in the program each year, and the competition structure is a common one — classroom bee winners participate in the school level bee, and these 45 students represent their respective schools in The Olathe News' final local bee.
When asked what made The Olathe News' program unique, Hobson explained, "Olathe schools each take great pride in their spellers. The local bee takes place in the morning of parent conferences so students are off school and can attend to support building spelling bee winners." We love that The Olathe News plans its bee with the students' schedules in mind, giving more kids the opportunity to cheer on their friends and school bee champions!
Looking ahead, Hobson sees a bright future for the program. "The level of competition is very high, even while there is such camaraderie among the contestants. Any one of the top 10 finalists in the district bee would be strong competitors at the national level!"
We look forward to welcoming The Olathe News' local winner to the 2016 Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C.