Twin Cities students can return to their dictionaries with conviction now that the annual regional spelling bee once again has a sponsor.
The Metropolitan Educational Cooperative Service Unit, an education nonprofit, will sponsor this year's Metro Area Regional Spelling Bee. The organization's president, Julie Frame, said the decision to jump on board and sponsor was an easy one.
"If this encourages students to be engaged in their learning, then this is a good thing," she said.
The metro bee found itself in limbo again this year after Minnesota Public Radio said it would not be able to continue as sponsor. MPR had saved the local competition last year after Augsburg College stepped down from its sponsorship after a three-year run.
Getting the competition in order will require a quick turnaround, said Mary Hillmann, an academic program administrator for South Central Service Cooperative who is helping coordinate the regional bee.
Hillmann, a seven-year veteran of organizing bees, estimated the cost of hosting a spelling bee at between $5,000 and $7,000. Along with working with local coordinators and planning the event, Metro ESCU will be responsible for finding volunteers such as a designated pronouncer and a dictionary judge, Hillmann said.
"It is definitely important for our schools and districts to keep having spelling bees for the students," she said. "When this is their thing, we want them to shine."
Metro ESCU has not locked in a venue for the event or officially set a date, although the competition is tentatively set to be held on a weekday night during the week of March 20.
