PRESS RELEASE 5 October 2012

Spelling Bee Morocco Announces 2013 Competition RABAT – Rachida Guelzim, Vice-president of MATE (Moroccan Association of Teachers of English), today announced that the national championship of the 2013 Spelling Bee Morocco competition will be held 7-10 April 2013. What is a spelling bee? It's a contest to see who can spell the best. Why have a spelling bee? Because English is hard to spell, even for native speakers. Spelling bees have been common in American schools for over 200

years. There has been a national spelling championship (http://www.spellingbee.com/) held in the U.S. Since 1926. Nowadays, the national championship is even televised live on national TV and attracts a huge audience. MATE has adopted the Spelling Bee Morocco project as a way to raise the profile of English in Morocco; provide motivation, recognition, and opportunities for Moroccan students of English; and improve the teaching of English. In addition to trophies and medals there will be prizes for the top finishers, including dictionaries compliments of Macmillan Education. Other prizes will be announced later. The competition is open to Moroccan students of English through the second year of their baccalaureate who have not reached the age of 20 before May 1, 2013. In order to reach the championship, spellers will first have to compete in school, district, and regional championships, beginning in January. The Spelling Bee Morocco competition actually includes two types of spelling bees – a team bee, in which teams of three spellers representing their schools compete against teams from other schools, and a solo bee, in which each speller is on his or her own. For details on eligibility, the official rules, registration, and the schedule, go to the Spelling Bee Morocco

website at www.spellingbeemorocco.org. You'll find additional information there as well, including tips on how to prepare for a spelling bee, word lists, aids for teachers, and more. And you can sign up to receive “Spellbound,” the Spelling Bee Morocco blog, by email so that you'll be notified of the latest developments in this year's competition and other interesting bits of information about the English language. Because spelling bees are still not well-known in Morocco, Spelling Bee Morocco is holding a series of trainings throughout the country during November and December to train teachers both in the spelling bee as a classroom activity and in how to organize a school championship. Information on the trainings, as well as other resources for teachers, will be available on the Spelling Bee Morocco website as well. Again, sign up up to receive updates by email at the Spelling Bee Morocco blog. Spelling Bee Morocco got its start last school year in the Ouarzazate, Zagora, Tinghir region. Twenty-five schools participated, with spellers proceeding through four district championships to the regional final in Ouarzazate on May 25 and 26. Ibtissam Boulaghmane, a second year baccalaureate student from Moulay Baamran High School in Kalaa Mgouna, won the solo bee championship, while a team from Sidi Saleh High

School in Tagounite took the team trophy. Team members Hadija Bachra, Taouchikht Zahra, and Fatima Ezzahra Ait Barka, all first-year baccalaureate students, hope to defend their championship this year. With the success of the event in the Ouarzazate region, MATE decided to expand into other regions of the country this year and add a national championship level to the competition. It is anticipated that at least 125 schools will participate this year, with the top spellers advancing through about 25 district competitions and 5 regional competitions before the national championship. Spelling Bee Morocco is organized by MATE with the support of Peace Corps volunteers and the financial / material support of the Regional English Language Office, US Embassy Rabat, Macmillan Education, and World Connect. It is expected that other organizations will join the project soon. For questions, information about the program or sponsorship, or to register your school for Spelling Bee

Morocco, contact project leader Jim Dana at info@spellingbeemorocco.org. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Moroccan Association of Teachers of English (MATE) (www.mate.ma) was established in 1979 and has about 1500 members. Its mission is to improve the teaching of English in Moroccan schools. In addition to Spelling Bee Morocco, MATE holds a national conference, manages the Access program in Morocco, and conducts summer English camps. Its regional branches organize seminars, workshops, and student activities.

Peace Corps (www.peacecorps.gov) is an agency of the US government. Its mission is to provide technical assistance in developing countries and promote global understanding. It has programs in about 80 countries worldwide, including one in Morocco for over 50 years. There are currently about 240 volunteers serving in Morocco in the areas of health, environment, and youth development.

Regional English Language Office (RELO)

(http://exchanges.staging.getusinfo.com/englishteaching/index.html) supports the mission of the Public Affairs Section of the United States Embassy to promote mutual understanding between people through its informational, educational and cultural programs. The RELO assists the English teaching community in Morocco to build an English competent cadre of professionals, academics, business people, and government officials who can take part in dialogues with their U.S. Counterparts.

Macmillan Education (www.macmillaneducation.com) is a global publisher of English Language teaching (ELT), school curriculum, digital and online materials. With over 150 years of publishing experience, Macmillan works with local teachers, students, institutions, and educational authorities to develop high-quality coursebooks, supplementary materials and digital products to suit the needs of classrooms around the world.

World Connect (www.worldconnect-us.org) is a non-profit organization that supports local leaders in underserved areas worldwide in solving local challenges by improving the health and well-being of women, children and communities. Since 2005, World Connect has supported more than 500 projects in more than 450 communities in 13 countries. World Connect supports women in leading healthy, productive lives via participation in health, education and income-generation projects. World Connect also helps disadvantaged kids to enjoy childhoods, embrace their creativity and become leaders by providing opportunities in arts, sports, education and environmental projects.