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February 17, 2020

UK Hosts 9th Annual Regional Spelling Bee

By Chaney Willett and Maia Dubin

The Spelling Bee will host 41 participants from across Kentucky, ranging from kindergarten to eighth grade.

The Spelling Bee will host 41 participants from across Kentucky, ranging from kindergarten to eighth grade.

The University of Kentucky Scripps Howard First Amendment Center in the School of Journalism and Media, along with the College of Arts and Sciences, will host the ninth annual UK Regional Spelling Bee. The bee will begin 9 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 22, in the UK Gatton Student Center's Worsham Cinema.

The Regional Spelling Bee will host 41 participants from across Kentucky, ranging from kindergarten to eighth grade. The champion will receive an all-expense paid trip to compete in the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C., as Kentucky’s representative.  

UK’s Spelling Bee is currently the only opportunity for Kentucky students in elementary and middle school to participate in a spelling competition.

“Our constituency serves 81 counties and 418 schools. That’s 418 opportunities to emphasize a love for literacy and a love for spelling within Kentucky’s students,” said John Cruz, School of Journalism and Media project manager. 

Cruz also hopes that this Spelling Bee will spark a passion for UK among the young participants.

“We’re hoping that students will utilize this weekend as a way to engage with other opportunities on campus, so they feel closer to the university when they begin to consider colleges,” Cruz said.

For more information, visit https://ci.uky.edu/jam/uk-regional-spelling-bee.

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