Green Brook Middle School (GBMS) held the championship round of competition for the National Geographic Bee on January 19, 2017. Over four hundred students at GBMS participated in the Geo Bee and nine students made it to the school championship round. After a difficult final round of competition, including Lauren Chapleski being eliminated in third place, only Danyal Aftab and Bryan Zhang remained. Sixth grade student Bryan Zhang eventually won the school competition and now has a chance at a $50,000 college scholarship. Bryan will now take a qualifying test to determine his eligibility for the New Jersey state Bee final on March 31, 2017.
The National Geographic Society will provide an all-expenses paid trip to Washington, D.C. for state winners to participate in the Bee national championship rounds from May 15 – 17, 2017. The 29th annual national finals will air on May 19 at 8 p.m. EST on the National Geographic Channel and Nat Geo Wild. One first-place national champion will receive a $50,000 college scholarship, a lifetime membership to the National Geographic Society including a subscription to National Geographic magazine, and a trip to the Galapagos Islands, courtesy of Lindblad Expeditions and National Geographic.
(above) Two of the three social studies teachers at GBMS: Dana Sweeney and Kevin Weeks with the Geo Bee winner, Bryan Zhang.
