When Yasmeen Harris-Youngblood first got involved in Victor H. Hexter Elementary School’s spelling bee 11 years ago in Dallas, she was aware that students had previously been hand-picked for the competition each year. Her first order of business as coordinator: Create an accessible spelling bee. 

“I made sure there was a way for every kid to do it if they wanted to,” she said. “We invited other grades to come and watch. We made it a really big deal. From then on, it became something that kids aspired to. We changed the culture here. I knew what that opportunity could do for a child.”

Indeed, Harris-Youngblood knew firsthand.

She was hand-picked for her school’s spelling bee in seventh grade in Grand Rapids, Michigan. She remembers her English teacher putting up a congratulatory pink banner in her classroom with names of three students who were top 10, including Harris-Youngblood’s.

The banner stayed up all year and served as a powerful motivator to Harris-Youngblood, who said she felt like there were new academic expectations for her.

“It was that visibility that made me a better student,” she said. “It made me focus on school. My English teacher, Miss Matthews, never knew what that did for me. That left a huge lasting impression on me.”

This is the second school at which Harris-Youngblood has become involved in the spelling bee. Her team works hard to make its bee an event that everyone in the school is excited about and makes the spellers feel special. Participation has increased 200% since she took over.

It is her 19th year in education. She was a fifth-grade teacher at her school until 2024 when she became campus librarian.

Fellow teacher Sandra Byler wrote in her nomination form that Harris-Youngblood is a champion for literacy at the school, adding: “She has unlocked a legacy of belief, showing every student at our school that their intelligence is a source of power and that greatness is well within their reach.”

Riley Fields remembers sitting on a sofa in his home office in 2021 when he heard the news. The Carolina Panthers’ director of community relations learned that the Scripps National Spelling Bee’s long-time regional partner in North Carolina was not going to continue in that role.

“There was going to be large population segments of students in our region with no pathway to compete in the Scripps National Spelling Bee,” Fields said. “That didn’t seem right. I thought it was an interesting opportunity for us to pick the ball up and run with it, so to speak.”

That’s, in part, because Panthers owner David Tepper and his wife Nicole have made supporting literacy efforts a priority for the National Football League organization.

Fields recites research-supported facts about the importance of strong reading skills between third and fourth grade when students go from “learning to read” to “reading to learn.” Studies have shown that if students can’t read proficiently by this time they have less chance for long-term academic, economic and professional achievements.

“We want to help put kids on a pathway to success,” Fields said. “We have a strong focus on elementary school literacy and providing resources and inspiration to encourage early learners to develop strong reading habits.” 

The Panthers regional program today encapsulates more than 90 school districts in North Carolina and 23 counties in South Carolina. This past year, roughly 1,700 schools were involved, Fields said. Four spellers from North Carolina and two from South Carolina advanced to the national competition.

“They are making a huge difference for the schools and students in North and South Carolina," said Bryan Witt, regional partner specialist for the Scripps National Spelling Bee. “We are so impressed by the ways in which the organization celebrates students for their academic achievements in bold, meaningful ways.”

In 2004, Linda Wrazen was employed at the nonprofit Vermont Humanities Council. Richard Cate, then-Vermont commissioner of education, learned Vermont was the only state that did not send a student to the Scripps National Spelling Bee.

He requested a meeting with the Vermont Principals’ Association (VPA), Vermont Humanities Council, Vermont Department of Education and Burlington Free Press and asked the four organizations to figure out a plan for a statewide bee.

The VPA took the lead role because it had experience hosting competitions and had school contacts, Wrazen said. 

Wrazen worked with the VPA to help coordinate a state bee in 2005. She became the official recorder/record keeper in 2008 and has held that role since – even though she retired from the Vermont Humanities Council in 2022 after 22 years with the organization.

“I like it,” she said. “I like seeing the students and the families at the bee – and their commitment. I like seeing students come back and try again. They try their best.”

Wrazen has a background in education and considers spelling “so important.”

“Linda has been our recorder for the Vermont State Bee for decades. However, more than that, she has been a source of guidance and support,” Mallori Longevin, VPA event coordinator & manager, wrote on the nomination form. “The growth of the Vermont State Spelling Bee – in participation, reputation, and impact – is inseparable from Linda's dedication. The event we have today simply would not exist in its current form without her ongoing, hands-on commitment.”

Wrazen didn’t necessarily think she was going to continue with the Vermont bee once she retired and helped care for her grandchildren.

“I just figured somebody else would take over and do it,” she said. “But it was nice when they asked me in 2023 to continue. As long as I can, I will keep doing it.”