Students from Ipswich participated in the school-level competition of the National Geographic GeoBee on January 23.

Gavin Wollman, an eighth grader, won first place. Graciella Lange, an eighth grader, was second and Kadyn Weisser, a seventh grader, finished third place.

The school-level competition is the first round in the annual National Geographic GeoBee, a geography competition designed to inspire and reward students' curiosity about the world. Questions cover not only geography, but also cultures, physical features, history and earth science.

The National Geographic Society developed the GeoBee in 1989 in response to concern about the lack of geographic knowledge among young people in the United States. In over more than three decades, 120 million students have learned about the world through participation in the GeoBee.

School champions, including Gavin, took an online qualifying test. The top 100 scorers in each state then become eligible to compete in their State GeoBee. The winners of the state GeoBees receive an all-expenses paid trip to National Geographic Society headquarters in Washington, D.C. next May to participate in the GeoBee national championship, competing for cash prizes, scholarships and an all-expenses paid Lindblad expedition to the Galapagos Islands aboard the National Geographic Endeavour II.

Gavin qualified to take part in the State GeoBee championship, which will take place on the campus of Northern State Univeristy on March 29.