Special to the American
Charter Communications and the Game Show Network are seeking local high school students with an aptitude for words to enter The National Vocabulary Championship.
Students can visit www.winwithwords.com through November 30 to take the National Qualifying Exam for a chance to participate in The National Vocabulary Championship (NVC).
The competition is open to all eligible U.S. students in grades 9-12 and 13-19 years of age who attend public, private, charter or home schooled institutions.
“We’ve seen tremendous growth of the program this year at the local level – over 400 schools nationwide, including 73,000 students, have already signed-on to participate by taking the in-school exam,” said Dennis Gillespie, senior vice president, distribution, the Game Show Network (GSN).
“We hope to match that success on a national level by encouraging every high school student, regardless of where they live, to take the online test right now for their chance at the NVC title and scholarship.”
The National Vocabulary Championship is a national academic competition conceived by GSN and college exam prepster the Princeton Review. The program goes beyond traditional spelling bees to test word definitions and overall word comprehension, while providing college-bound students the tools necessary to effectively communicate their ideas to the world.
“Charter Communications encourages all local students to log on to www.winwithwords.com and take the National Qualifying Exam for a chance to represent their community in the NVC Championship in Los Angeles,” said Steve Trippe, vice president & general manager for Charter.
“This is a great opportunity for students to expand their vocabulary and compete for college tuition assistance.”
Top scorers of the online exam will be invited to take an in-person follow-up test at a nearby Princeton Review location. Scores will be weighed against the scores of other students who took the regional test. Students with the highest marks will join winners of local NVC events around the country to be among the top 50 vocabulary students in the nation.
This group of elite word-whizzes will win a trip to Los Angeles, Calif., to compete for the $40,000 grand prize to be put in a ‘529’ Higher Education Savings Plan and the title of National Vocabulary Champion in the April 2008 NVC Finals.
The National Vocabulary Championship comes to St. Louis Nov. 29 with a citywide competition in which the top 100 vocabulary students in the region will compete for money toward college and an opportunity to advance to the NVC finals. Sponsored by Charter Communications and hosted by Clayton High School, the live event takes place Thursday, November 29 from 5:30-8:30 p.m.
St. Louis-area students with the top 100 scores on an in-school qualifying exam offered by participating high schools in the area will qualify to participate in the live game show-style event. The winner of the Citywide Championship will receive $5,000 toward college tuition and earn a guaranteed spot in the NVC final.
Noah Berman from Metro Classical and Academic High School was crowned St. Louis’ first NVC Citywide Champion during last year’s event and subsequently competed in the inaugural NVC Finals.
St. Louis-area students who do not attend a participating high school or who do not take the in-school qualifying exam are still eligible to participate in the National Vocabulary Championship by competing in the National Qualifying Competition.
Visit www.winwithwords.com now through November 30 to take the National Qualifying Exam. The site serves as the online destination to download free Princeton Review study materials, connect with other NVC-participating students and find out more information about the National Vocabulary Championship.