What is ITSO?

The first spelling bee in history took place in 1852. Then, in 1925, the Courier-Journal sponsored the first individual National Spelling Bee, drawing widespread attention from the American public. Nearly every year since then, the National Spelling Bee has taken place in Washington D.C. in May and is currently broadcast by ESPN. The champion of the bee is awarded not only $40,000 but also gets to meet the President of the United States. Colleges in the United States and abroad see participation in the National Spelling Bee as an impressive feat on one’s resume, and thus give credit to competitors. Every year, more than 50 million teenagers from over 100 countries participate in spelling bees.