Press Releases

AMERICAN CENTER ORGANIZES SPELLING BEE CONTEST FOR SCHOOL CHIDREN IN SILIGURI ON JANUARY 15

January 9, 2009

Kolkata -- The U.S. Consulate General Public Affairs Office in Kolkata is organizing a Spelling Bee Contest for school children in Siliguri on January 15.  The American Center is taking the competition to this city of North Bengal since Siliguri has long been considered as a major hub of education in the Terai as well as the Dooars region. At the same time, this program will be aiming at extending student outreach to this region.

The Spelling Bee Contest will be held at the Ramkinkar Hall of the Dinabandhu Mancha on Thursday from 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM. Students of classes VIII and IX from 15-20 schools of the region are expected to participate in the competition. Additionally, students can individually participate and register their names on a first-come, first-served basis till 10:00 AM on the day of the competition. Names may also be registered directly over phone by contacting the American Library Director Dr. Sushanta Banerjee on his mobile no. 9831356479. The Sub-divisional Officer of Siliguri Sharad Dwivedi, IAS will be present as Chief Guest and American Center Director Douglas Kelly will also be present.

Two students selected from this contest shall participate in the final competition to be held at the American Center during the Kolkata Book Fair on February 3, 2009.  They will be accompanied by their parents and the American Center will bear the total cost of their travel and accommodation. A finalist from the New Delhi region will also be in Kolkata to compete for top prizes.

The concept of spelling bee contest is thought to have originated in the United States of America. In this competition youngsters use their sense of hearing, memory, and phonetics to be able to spell words to show their grasp of the English vocabulary. The American Center in Kolkata has been conducting this contest for the past two years