American Centre organizes Spelling Bee

Kolkata, Dec 8 : Students in Eastern India will have a chance to test their spelling mettle in the third annual Spelling Bee competition sponsored by the U.S. Consulate General's American Center in Kolkata. This year the Center has partnered with Merriam-Webster, publisher of America's best-selling English dictionary.

More than 60 schools are expected to participate in this year's Bee, which kicks off at Mitra Sammilani Hall on Hill Cart road in Siliguri at 11am on Friday (Dec 11).

The second round will be held at St Xavier's School in Patna at 11 am on Tuesday (Dec 15), said an official release.

The best spellers from all the rounds will meet for the Final Bee of Eastern India at the American Center, Kolkata on January 21, 2010. The winner from the East will compete with the winners of North India in the grand finale on January 27, 2010.

Spelling bees are an enduring educational tradition in the United States. In 2009, the winner was a 13-year-old Indian American, Kavya Shivshankar, who won the Bee after she correctly spelled 'laodicean.' Eight Indian-Americans have now won the title, including 6 in the past 10 years.