Zeb Cooper Wins the 2009 Prague Geography Bee

Zeb Cooper, a seventh grade student at Prague Public Schools, won the school-level competition of the National Geographic Bee on January 9, 2009 and a chance at a $25,000 college scholarship. Zeb is the son of Laura and Stonie Cooper. Kaytlin Johnson, the daughter of Connie and Ken Johnson, was the school runner-up.

The school-level Bee, at which students answered oral questions on geography, was the first round in the 21th annual National Geographic Bee. Eight students qualified for the school finals. They were fifth graders Kevin Sousek and Austin Morrison, sixth graders Brandon Jacobson and Clayton Prochaska, seventh graders Kaytlin Johnson and Zeb Cooper, and eighth graders Josh Eaton and Austin Wade.

The school winner will now take a written test with 100 of the top scorers in the state competing in the Nebraska state Geography Bee. The National Geographic Society will provide an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C., for the state champions to participate in the National Geographic Bee on May 19 and 20, 2009. “Jeopardy!” host Alex Trebek will moderate the national finals on May 20.

Anyone can brush up on geography with GeoBee Challenge, an online geography quiz at www.nationalgeographic.com/geobee, which poses 10 new questions a day.

The National Geographic Society is one of the world’s largest nonprofit scientific and educational organizations. The 121-year-old Society reaches more than 325 million people worldwide each month through its official journal, National Geographic; National Geographic Channel, television documentaries, music, radio, films, books, DVDs, maps, exhibitions, interactive media and merchandise.